The Most Happy
by CaBu
Summary: Formerly Saikou Ni Happy! When Kiyomaro discovers that there are actually 106 demons around he gets cracking to find the loose extra 6. But when one of the 6 bookholders is sitting in front of him in class, things get heated. OCs, SPOILERS, KiyomaroxOC.
1. Act One

I do not own any Konojiki No Gasshu Bell characters or themes. I only own some original characters: Ureshii Shikimori, Ne, Mikoto, Aurora, Bison, Sal, Nomad, Hobbes, Ren, Ellen and Jo.

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"_She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing. Knows just what to say so my whole day's ruined."-_ Just The Girl, The Click Five.

The Most Happy

Act One

The day had begun with the sound of the school's first morning bell. It was time for Kiyomaro to begin his morning's class. And while the setting around him remained the same, his personal life had changed dramatically. For the better or for the worse, he couldn't tell. The day his life finally changed was the day a small blond child came crashing through his window with a message from his Father. Gash Bell was his name and he was sent to Kiyomaro for one reason or another. It wasn't long before he dug deeper into Gash's mysterious being and discovered that he was in fact a demon from the Demon World to fight for the king's seat.

The days since Gash's arrive had become long, longer than usual. He had come to grips that he, Kiyomaro, would have to fight alongside his demon partner to save his world from any evil spirit who wished to take the seat of the Demon King. He had to win, not only for Gash's world but for his as well.

Although every day since his arrival Kiyomaro's days had been different and presented a new challenge, the teen genius found himself wishing that his world would become 'normal' once again. To live everyday day-to-day would be a relaxing feet from the many fights he and Gash had all ready undergone. But today much to his dismay, Kiyomaro found himself in a new situation once again. Today, his class would be introduced to a new transfer student.

"Well, class has started and no sign of that badass, guess she chickened out!"

"I bet she isn't as cool as everyone says, I bet she's just a normal junior high student."

Kiyomaro was now used to these remarks, his peers had been going on about this new female transfer student since the day the gossip about her began. Rumors about her seemed outrageous to him and he began to ignore them as soon as they entered his ears. Inside, he hated the fact that his classmates were speaking harshly about this girl; he knew what it was like to be tormented by their taunts. But in the same thought, he was happy his peers had someone new to talk about.

A slam of a nearby hardwood door let the class know that class had indeed begun. His classmates then were quietly seated, for once, and awaited their drama teacher to enter the room in full. Kiyomaro had been seated since the first bell had rung. He had no need to stand and communicate with the other peers. He hated to hear their jabber about 'this and that'. It was all so meaningless. This had been the only class in which none of Kiyomaro's newest friends had been absent from. He had excelled in other subjects and had been advanced into the honor-drama class.

"Okay class, settle down class has started and I have some important news." His least favorite teacher, Mr. Rin spoke as he stood in front of his class with a cheerful grin across his face. "As you all may have heard, you are gaining a new classmate this wonderful afternoon."

Kiyomaro's cheek twitched as he listened to Mr. Rin's stern voice. He had to admit to himself, he didn't much care for the man. He was of American descent and often flaunted it to his students. This attitude caused Kiyomaro's stomach to turn, he didn't care about America he just wanted this class to end as soon as possible.

The students began to chirp and whisper about their new addition to the classroom. What would she be like? Would her rumors of being rude, crude and 'badass' be true? Could her reputation precede her? Kiyomaro had often overheard of the new student's rough and tough attitude. How she could take on gang upon gang member in knife fights and fistfights. How she chain-smoked with the best of them. It couldn't be true; no girl was _that_ awful…right?

"And to add to this news," Mr. Rin continued, "We will begin reading a new novel! Of course, after our new student shows herself." Mr. Rin then began to mutter under his breath, "She should be here any moment now…Shikimori…" He then turned toward the classroom door and watched it with nervous eyes, worried that his new student would refuse to step in.

The class began silent. They were excited to see what this new girl could look like. Would the rumors of her being hideous be true? Would she look British? White? Or even fit the British upper-class stereotype? The class could barely contain themselves on the subject. Kiyomaro had to roll his eyes, he couldn't care less. He placed his well-shaped chin on the palm of his hand and glanced out the window, bored out of his mind. He couldn't find the slight bit of interest in this new girl.

"Any second now," Mr. Rin gave another nervous sigh.

The student's ears then began to stiffen as they listened for any sound. Moments passed until tiny footsteps became clear. _Tap, tap, tap._ They became louder as she approached. It was her, the new student for sure. The class sat on the edge of their seats, ready for the rough and tumble girl from the UK.

The doorknob began to turn before it swung open to reveal a female figure. The class stared on, only to find themselves littered with disappointment.

"Ah! Ms. Shikimori, we were just waiting for you, come on in." Mr. Rin clapped his hands happily as the girl entered the room. "Please come to the front."

Kiyomaro could only assume that the girl nodded before coming to the front of the class. The class around him began to snicker and snort causing his interest to finally peek. He had to look up from his studies. Were those rumors true? He looked away from his beloved window to see the girl standing at the front of the class. His eyes went straight to the girl's face. She had strange striking eyes. They were blue in color and seemed so cold. Though her strange, cold eyes were hard to make out through the mounds of thick dark blue hair; dyed obviously but still an odd shade. She was not yet fitted with the school's standard uniform and wore a causal outfit of jeans and white t-shirt.

"Everyone," Mr. Rin spoke with pride, "This is Shikimori Ureshii."

"_Ureshii?_" A girl from the back giggled, "What an odd name!"

"Ms. Shikimori," Mr. Rin insisted, ignoring the whispers, "Would you like to say anything to your new peers?"

The girl was quick to shake her head to give an obvious 'no'. Mr. Rin had to nod with compassion. This must be hard for the girl; it was her first day of school in a new country, God knows Kiyo would hate to have that much attention on _him_. The teacher then scanned the room, looking for a seat to have Ureshii to seat.

"Please, take your seat in front Kiyomaro Takamine." Mr. Rin pointed one finger towards Kiyomaro, "Mr. Takamine is the boy in the back, the good-looking one." He gave a small chuckle as he gently placed his hand on Ureshii's back, pushing her forward.

Ureshii blinked for a moment and nodded and turned to Kiyomaro. The two stared at one another for a solid moment. His cheek had to twitch at her stare; he found it odd that she had to be placed in front of him. Why him of all people? He had no intent on becoming friends with this girl, let alone speaking with her. He had no reason to. Ureshii's stinging blue eyes began to squint as she began to glare at him. He was taken back by her sudden glare and quickly looked aside, breaking their stare.

She then made her way to her desk. She took slow steps before taking her seat. She turned another glare toward Kiyomaro before removing her knapsack from her shoulders and placing it in her lap. She then removed a small yellow notebook and pencil, preparing for the day's lesson. Kiyomaro, feeling as though her evil glare was over with, looked back at the girl. He had become curious for one moment. Curious about those rumors, could they really be true? His eyes then landed on her knapsack and the items inside it. If he could get a good look at her personal items, maybe he could determine whether her reputation was correct.

As he stared into her bag he noticed nothing out of the ordinary; books, pens, a lunch bag…nothing until she removed her last notebook. It was then Kiyomaro's eyes landed on a small magenta-colored book. His stomach soured. Could it possibly be? Could it really be true? Was that a _spell book?_

_What the hell? Why here? Of all places? School!_

His eyes were glued to the book, thinking the worst of his current situation. How could things possibly be any worse? Now he had a bookkeeper in his classroom…with him. The first thought that ran through his mind was the thought of fighting this new student to the death. He would have to destroy her to keep Gash alive. Or…perhaps, he could keep to himself and keep as far from a battle as possible.

"Ah-hum!" Mr. Rin was quick to catch Kiyomaro staring into Ureshii's bag, "Mr. Takamine please pay attention!" Mr. Rin coughed.

Kiyomaro jumped upward in his seat, caught off guard by his teacher. He bit his lower lip and turned to face his teacher, ignoring the snickers from his peers.

"Oh! Sorry, Mr. Rin." He muttered.

"Mr. Takamine…" Mr. Rin sighed. "Anyhow," He continued, "I would like to carry on with today's lesson. As I said earlier, today we will begin reading a new novel." The older male spoke as he began to hand a set of books to each student; he then came to a sudden halt after handing the last book to Ureshii, "Oh dear," He replied, "It seems we're short one book…I must have forgotten to order an extra one for Ms. Shikimori." Mr. Rin then looked to_ him_, the only student without a book. "Is anyone willing to share their book with Mr. Takamine?"

The classroom went dead silent. So this was how it was gonna be, huh? Typical, great now he was going to be singled out for being the snobby genius, another wonderful memory of junior high.

"I'm not sharing with Takamine, just because he has no friends doesn't mean I have to share with him!"

"Wouldn't dream of sharing with him!"

"HA! What a laugh, me sharing with that science geek!"

He twitched to the sounds of his apprentices sneering and taunting him once more. His wish of his classmates forgetting his presence with the prospect of a new student was shot down in an instant. Inside he could feel his hatred for the American teacher grow. How dare he place the spotlight on him? How dare he have him stand out to all these 'things' called people? Causing him to be a laughingstock.

They were just jealous, he would continuously tell himself. Jealous of everything he had. How easily knowledge came to him. Though he knew that these children were only envious of him it did nothing to take away from the pain he felt inside. It did nothing to ease the burning sensation of the awful words that entered his ears.

Just as Kiyomaro's embarrassment and resentment raced his max, a small movement caught his eye. He looked in front of him to see that Ureshii had raised her hand. She had offered to share her book with Kiyomaro. Shocked, he could only stare on, feeling odd about this new girl.

"What's that Ms. Shikimori? You'd like to share?" Mr. Rin asked, a smile growing across his face.

Ureshii gave a silent nod. This seemed to please the drama teacher as he clapped his hands together in delight. He then turned away from the class and stepped toward the chalkboard in the front of the class and began to scribble across words onto the board.

"Now," He began as the word began to form, "Today we will begin reading the epic novel, _Romeo and Juliet, _by William Shakespeare." The class 'oohed' and 'awed' at the news and began to flip open their books. "Now to begin," He continued with pride, "Everyone please turn to Act one, Scene two? Where it says, 'Enter Romeo'."

As instructed, the class turned and flipped through the pages of the novel until each student had reached the correct page and paragraph. It was then that Ureshii turned about to face Kiyomaro. She brought her book along with her, and placed the novel on his desk. She then opened the tiny book. The male brunette watched as she placed her finger under the words in the book, once she had arrived at the proper page.

"Now," Mr. Rin began, "I need someone to read aloud the part of Romeo, is anyone up for the challenge?"

He wasn't surprised to see that no hands were offered. Mr. Rin's brow twitched at this sight and he grumbled to himself. He was left with no choice by the looks of it; there was no doubt that he was going to have to choose someone himself. He let out a great sigh before looking about the room.

"Mr. Takamine!" He shouted, "If you're not going to pay attention, then I suppose I'll make you. Read aloud Romeo's lines, please."

Kiyomaro grumbled and his cheek twitched before he sat upward from his seat, taking the novel with him. "**He jests at scares that never felt a wound**…" He read in a hasty manner before taking his seat once again.

"Very good." Mr. Rin nodded, "But there is a bit more there, Mr. Takamine."

He sighed before standing up once again, "**But, soft. What light through yonder window…breaks?**" He hesitated for a moment, feeling odd about the novel's dialogue. "**It's**** the east and Juliet is the s-sun**."

"Mr. Takamine," Mr. Rin cut in, "I feel like you're not enjoying this story, or its text. So, you may quit if you please."

Kiyomaro couldn't take his seat quick enough. He plopped down into his seat without another word. He had to let a sigh of relief leave his lips; he couldn't stand being the center of attention. He'd rather remain quiet and avoid any comments, good or bad, all together.

"The next one to speak is Juliet, so I need someone to speak as Juliet, anyone?" Mr. Rin looked about and to his surprise; a small group of girls raised their hands for the part. "I want…you! Ms. Shikimori, no one has really heard you speak yet, so why not?"

Ureshii nodded and stood up, "**Ay me!**" She, like Kiyomaro was quick to return to her seat.

"Ms. Shikimori, will you sit back up?" Mr. Rin's brown again twitched as he watched the new student's reaction to reading aloud, "I would like you and Mr. Takamine to read together. Perhaps then you two will enjoy this class."

Kiyomaro and Ureshii looked at one another for a moment before they arose from their seats and stood together. They then began reciting the words of Shakespeare together.

"**She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel**." Kiyomaro began, feeling nervous about his reading, "**For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back t-to gaze? Oh! On him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air**."

Ureshii cleared her throat before she began reading, "**O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet**."

"**Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?**" He was quick to reply to taller female.

It was like a sudden urge to compete with him started and Ureshii took a deep breath and began to say her next set of lines when Mr. Rin cut in, "Ms. Shikimori, Please come to the front of the class, if you may."

Again the couple paused and stared at one another. Before he could rip his eyes away from the rumored rebel, the new female student walked to the front of the class, novel still in hand.

"Ms. Shikimori, please read the death scene of Juliet."

Doing as she was told, Ureshii reopened her tiny booklet and skipped through the many pages until she found Juliet's famous death scene.

"Start form where Juliet tells the hence to flee," The teacher instructed.

"**What's here? A cup closed in my true love's hand?**" The words sailed through the air with an eerie sense, "**Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end: O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with restorative**."

Mr. Rin gave a sly grin as Ureshii finished her scene. He then gave a small clap. The class watched with confused eyes, how could this so-called, 'tough girl' speak the words of Shakespeare with such kindness? How could she be called rough when her voice was shy, small and low? These rumors must be false by all means.

Mr. Rin then moved his hand to point toward her seat, Ureshii nodded and walked to her seat in silence. She then sat down and closed her book. She was not what the class was suspecting. Not rough, not tough, not mean. She was a typical girl. Nothing special, but Kiyomaro knew otherwise. She was a bookkeeper, and as far as he knew she was his newest threat.

Act End.


	2. Act Two

The Most Happy

Act Two

_I have to find her! _Thought Kiyomaro as he panted heavily.

He ran through the hallways with the up most speed. He had been hot on Ureshii's trail after his first class had ended. Though, through the crowds of students he had lost her. He shoved his way through the halls, pushing and darting his way through any space he could find. He had to catch her.

_Have to find out if she has a demon or not! And if she does, Gash and I might have to battle her!_

As he pushed himself through the mob of students he was rewarded with the sight of Ureshii walking down a long hall. She was not walking fast or seemed to be in any sort of hurry; odd how she kept ahead of Kiyomaro, as if she was headed somewhere in particular. Perhaps if he were to follow her long enough, he would catch her doing something strange with her book. He watched Ureshii was she took a sharp, sudden right turn and up a ramp. He knew very well where she was headed: the school's roof.

_If I follow her any farther, I'll be late for my second class…_ Kiyomaro pondered as he gripped his fist. _"But I have to see where she's headed! Dammit._ He shut his eyes tightly before letting out a small grunt.

He bit down on his lower lip before making his final decision. He had to follow her. To clarify that she indeed was carrier. He then blasted off up the steep ramp, chasing after the transfer student. He could feel a burning sensation spark within his calf's as he sped upward and after Ureshii. But he could not stop; the thought of having another book holder in his own class terrified him. He could not risk having someone so close to him that could possibly be an enemy. It would throw his and Gash's view for a pleasant future right out the window. The thoughts of his impending doom soon vanished and soon transformed into a twisted, sinking, sour feeling of pain.

It took a moment before he could but a name to this odd feeling. Nervousness. He was actually nervous, worried in some regard. Before he could even realize it, he was standing before the door that led to the school's roof area. He peered out the small window, his stomach still in nervous knots. Kiyomaro could see Ureshii standing outside, on the roof _alone._ But he knew it would not last.

He then watched as the young woman bent down and pull her knapsack off of her shoulder and placed it in front of herself. She quietly began to sift through her bag until she appeared to find what she had been searching for. Kiyomaro looked back down at his own knapsack and gritted his teeth. His own book lay within that bag, the book that controlled every one of Gash's moves in battle.

_What is she doing?_

Ureshii then pulled a small paper bowl from her bag and placed it gently on the cold ground. Repeating her previous action, she again reached deep into her bag and pulled out a small carton of milk. Most likely from breakfast that the school often served before the morning classes took place. She continued her actions and tore open the carton and then proceeded to pour the white liquid into the paper bowl.

"Hey!" Kiyomaro jumped to the sound of her voice as she called out, "I got you're your milk!"

He waited nervously for a solid moment. He couldn't imagine what could be coming. He was sure her demon was coming to her call.

"Hurry up!" She shouted again, her tone taking on an irritated sound this time around.

Again, silence. Kiyomaro let out a loud gulp and waiting another moment for any sign of movement. The silence was broken by the sound of soft pitter-patters, then small squeaks. He squinted his eyes as he witnessed a small figure approaching the milk bowl. His anxiety instantly lifted from his shoulders as a small grey kitten trotted toward the bowl. It was quick to lap up the milk that was left out for it.

"All I could get you was skim milk. I know you hate that kind but I tried my hardest so get used to it." Kiyomaro could just make out Ureshii's muffled voice as she continued, "Drink all of it too; I don't know when we'll be able to get more food. I'm not sure when I'm getting paid."

Kiyomaro had to crack a smile as he began to scratch his head. _That's what I was worried about? A kitten?_ He then shook his head, his smile still remaining.

After an elongated drink, the kitten let out a satisfied mew. She then took a few graceful steps toward her owner and gently rubbed her tiny head against her leg. Ureshii was quick to release her angry stare and bent down to the kitten's level. She lifted her hand and began to give the kitten a gentle pet.

"Now," Her tone lowered as her strokes on the kitten's head continued. "Let's talk about what we're going to do…"

Kiyomaro squinted his eyes as Ureshii's words became increasingly hard to hear. He leaned in to the door, his chest pressing with a gentle pressure against the cold wood. He did not want to test his luck and get himself caught in this dire moment.

"What is she saying? I can't hear her anymore." He muttered to himself.

It was then the thought dawned on him: his next class was going to begin soon. He had no time to waste. It was also important for Kiyomaro to exit before Ureshii to ensure his safety. If she were to catch him now, he wasn't sure what mess he could end up in. With a low growl, Kiyomaro gripped his fist and spun around. He dashed down the staircase with lightening speed. He hated the fact that he had to make his exit so soon but it was a must if he were to save himself a future battle.

XoXoX

"Hey there Kiyomaro!"

Kiyomaro twitched; one of his peers's let his name slip their lips. A quick glance backward showed that Suzume was standing behind him, her arms tied tightly behind her back. The shorter girl was nervous of course, being in the presence of her first love. Kiyomaro was aware of this, no, the _whole school_ was aware of it but he made an effort to avoid the subject of 'romance'. He had to admit to himself, however, that he was somewhat intrigued by Suzume's affection. He had never experienced a one-sided love such as this.

Perhaps it was the comfort in knowing that someone out there cared about him and would be there if he required security of any sort. Often Kiyomaro would push the emotion within himself to return Suzume's feelings but nothing ever came from the effort. He would try and force himself to fall in love, just so he wouldn't be alone. In some ways this push made the distance between them even worse. Ugh.

"Hey there Suzume…" Kiyomaro let out a great sigh of frustration as he slowly opened his eyes to look down at the brunette as she stood before him.

After forcing his feelings on the female, he felt embarrassed in her presence. He felt ashamed that he could not return her feelings and perhaps develop a relationship with her. How inhuman was it to not love someone? It just made him feel even more like a freak.

"How are you feeling?" Suzume asked with a hint of delight in her voice.

"All right." Kiyomaro gave Suzume a simple reply. "Just a little frustrated."

"I'm sorry to hear that Kiyomaro…" She dropped her head, perhaps she was feeling apprehensive? "Oh hey!" Suzume lifted her head and snapped her fingers to catch the male's attention. "Did you hear about the new transfer student?"

"Only about a thousand times," He twitched; again with this new girl talk?

Suzume smiled as she trailed after Kiyomaro, after he began walking. "I heard she's from England." She spoke as the two made their way down the crowded hallway. "She's supposed to be real tough! I heard she was a part of a gang!"

Kiyomaro stopped mid step to turn around and glare at Suzume. What was wrong with this girl? Believing everything she heard? How pitiful. Kiyomaro shut his eyes tight and his eyebrows lowered in frustration. He was so tired of hearing about this girl. What made this girl so special? She was just a transfer student after all.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, you know!" Kiyomaro's voice flew from his mouth faster than he could think. "Just because you hear someone say something doesn't mean it's completely true." His eyes then snapped open. "Who cares about this dumb transfer girl anyway?"

"I-I-I'm sorry K-Kiyomaro!" Suzume moved her hands from her back to her chest and her stare darted to the floor.

Kiyomaro paused for a moment. Had he shouted at her? The male blinked as his own voice repeated in his head. He _had_ shouted at her. He felt his stiff body begin to loosen. He then looked from left to right to see a few other students staring at him. Had he really caused that much of a scene? How could he be _that_ much a jerk, and to for everyone to see it just made it worse.

"No," Kiyomaro calmed his voice to a tame tone, "I shouldn't have jumped you like that, I'm sorry."

"Really?" Suzume jumped with excitement.

The male gave the female a firm head nod before speaking once again, this time in a very smooth calming voice, "Yeah, let's just go to class before the bell rings."

XoXoX

Kiyomaro let out a loud sigh; finally the school day was over. It felt as he it had been days since the morning began. What a strange day. The thought of Ureshii flooded his mind. Who was she? What was she doing here? He felt his heart slam away in his chest as the thought of another demon battle came into mind. Another fight? Kiyomaro didn't think he could do it. Ureshii sat in the same classroom as he, how could this have happened? He couldn't think about this for too long, it would surely give him a headache.

Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his forehead, before looking up to the sky. A shining yellow sun beamed down on him, he hated the heat. The teen prodigy then lowered his sights and looked straight ahead. He paused for a moment as he looked at the female walking ahead of him. Ureshii stepped with quiet footsteps down the busy street. What could she be doing? Kiyomaro had to assume that her demon was near by. Up, down, left, right, his eyes darted in every direction in search of something strange. Nothing.

"I should follow her…" Kiyomaro whispered to himself. "Gash…" Kiyomaro bit down on his lower lip.

The idea of grabbing Gash to follow him along on his investigation crossed Kiyomaro's mind. But he had to think logically, there was no way he could get Gash in time and still follow Ureshii's trail. Either way, he made his decision; he was going to follow Ureshii without Gash.

He hunched over and narrowed his eyes on her back. He was going to follow her, no matter where she went. At the open opportunity, Kiyomaro would make a dash behind a building or lamppost, in his best effort to evade her eyes. He had to do his best to remain unseen. Why was she lagging for so long?

Something was up, Kiyomaro glared at the girl's back. What was she doing? As Ureshii walked her speed doubled. He jumped at the chance and gave chase. The girl then made a tight turn and entered an alleyway. He watched as Ureshii left his sight and paused. An alleyway? Kiyomaro had to wonder why the female would make haste toward an alleyway. His fist clenched. To follow her might mean a battle but to lose her may just delay it.

Kiyomaro took a deep breath before turning into the alleyway. He took two more soft steps into the alley before a dark set of hands reached out and grabbed on to him. A pressure forced his back against a brick wall. The set of hands that had grabbed him were now latched on to his school uniform.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

After the initial grab his eyes had shut closed but upon hearing a female voce, he opened his right eye to only see darkness before him. For whatever reason, no words formed on his tongue.

"Answer me!" She bashed him against the wall once again, no doubt frustrated from his silence.

What was he supposed to say? Ugh, why now of all times did his voice leave him? A small clicking sound echoed through the alley. A flicker then caused Kiyomaro to open his left eye. A flame danced in front of his face. His eyes darted from the flame and to the face that was holding him. Ureshii stood before him, lighter in hand.

"Takamine?" The words fell from her mouth with shock. "Why are you following me?"

She removed her hand from his shirt, releasing him to the ground. Kiyomaro's feet hit the dusty floor with a thud and caused another echo to soar within the alleyway. The younger male then lifted his hands to his shirt collar and began to adjust it while the strong woman stood beside him with an unsatisfied look on her face.

"Well?" Ureshii spoke as she began to step into the daylight of the streets.

"Uhh…" Kiyomaro looked about trying to find the best excuse to answer to.

"You're not one of those book holders are you?" She spoke with a simple, relaxed voice as she dusted her pants and shirt off.

His world came to a screeching halt. She _knew_? Kiyomaro wasn't sure what to say to this, what could he say? All that came from his mouth was a loud unexpected gasp. Kiyomaro felt the muscles in his arms and back stiffen. What did she want with him, now that she knew he was a book holder? All his thoughts came to a crashing stop when a few sarcastic chuckles left the blue-haired girl.

"You are, aren't you?" Ureshii's shoulders bobbed up and down in a shrug. "I can see it on your face." She then turned her cheek to him and crossed her arms over her chest. "So now what? You want to fight me or something?"

"No!" Kiyomaro snapped at the female, causing her to return her stare to him. "I don't want to fight anyone! I just don't want you and your demon getting to us first!"

Ureshii's brows lifted at this statement. "Uh huh."

"I'm serious!" He snapped once again.

"Look," She closed her eyes as she spoke. "Ever since getting the book, I've been challenge left and right. I'm not about to trust anyone."

Kiyomaro's eyes widened. A feeling of familiarity fell over him. It was the same way he had felt. Not being able to trust anyone, only to have himself and Gash to look after. He couldn't let anyone come and destroy everything that he had accomplished. The battles, as hard as they were only caused him pain and misery in the long run. Burning other's spell books did not bring him joy or pride, it brought him frustration.

"But what else can I expect?" Ureshii's voice caused Kiyomaro to break his thoughts and look her way once again. "That's all that men care about." He felt his eyebrow cock as she continued. "Men are so useless."

"What?" Kiyomaro fought back without hesitation.

She took several steps toward Kiyomaro, causing him to take a few steps away. "If you even think about challenging me, you'll pay."

Act End.


	3. Act Three

The Most Happy

Act Three

"_Men are so useless."_

The words ran through Kiyomaro's head like a broken record. What was Ureshii's problem? He could feel the midday sun beating on his face and tearing its way through to his stomach. He stepped lightly home, his mind still on the conversation he had earlier with Ureshii. What was wrong with her? She seemed so hostile toward him just because he was male. Perhaps she had something against men all together? Kiyomaro hated the idea of being singled out because of his gender, it was ridiculous and strange. The words continued to play in his head as he walked home.

He had to inform Gash on what was going on; they both had to be prepared for what could happen next. Then again telling the young blond may only cause further problems. The genius lifted his hand to his head and began to scratch his scalp as he thought. Perhaps it was better if he told Gash only when it was necessary. Giving him such troubling news may cause the demon to do something rash.

Kiyomaro had finally reached his front door. He stared at the white door with a stern look on his face. He hated the idea of keeping something from his partner, but this situation was too delicate to mess with. The boy lifted his hand to the doorknob and gave it a gentle twist. The door popped open and Kiyomaro walked into his home with quiet, soft steps.

"Kiyomaro!"

Kiyomaro turned to the sound of his name. Below him stood Gash with a happy expression on his face. The older male allowed a sigh to pass his lips as he looked at the tiny blonde boy. No, he couldn't tell him now. Kiyomaro shook his head from left to right; just a little long then he would tell Gash. He grunted at the boy before pushing passed him and entering the kitchen. Kiyomaro then proceeded to open the cabinet door and search through it. Eating would take his mind off the situation.

"Kiyomaro?" Gash spoke once again. "What's wrong? You're not talking."

Kiyomaro paused for a moment, shutting his eyes as he thought. He did not want to see too obvious that something was wrong; then again he didn't want to appear too energetic. He looked over to see the younger demon standing behind him. Gash's two large blue eyes stared at him with worry and concern.

"Nothing, it's nothing." He finally replied to Gash. "Don't worry about me…"

XoXoX

A loud familiar ring vibrated through Kiyomaro's ears. The bell had rung to single the beginning of third period, his gym period. He drug his feet out of the boy's locker room, leaving a trail of dust behind him. How he despised gym class. It wasn't enough that the strange P.E. uniform made his skin crawl, it meant that he'd have to run.

Although Kiyomaro could have this period at a more inconvenient time, at least during third period it was still cool out. Although, he was finding gym class easier to overcome with his new friends: Suzume, Yamanaka, Mariko and Kane. Kiyomaro had to admit; having his buddies around to talk to him did bring him comfort.

"Finally!" Yamanaka laughed as Kiyomaro approached the group. "Class has all ready started!"

"It's to be expected from someone like Takamine." Kane replied with a shrug.

"Hey!" Kiyomaro snapped at the larger boy, his left hand clenched in front of his chest.

"Let's get going all ready," Mariko intercepted, standing between the two boys with both hands lifted. "The sooner we get this mile finished, the better."

Kiyomaro had to agree and gave the group a firm head nod. The rest of the group then turned their backs to the locker rooms and set off toward the field. Their feet hit the ground hard as they began their sprint. Dust kicked up into the air, causing some students to rub their eyes. Kiyomaro pushed through the dust and picked up speed. He wasn't the fastest student in the class but he also wasn't the slowest. He pushed on nevertheless, the sooner he completed this run the better.

It didn't take Kiyomaro long to finish his run. As he came to the finish line he bent over and panted. The sun's heat beamed down on his back, causing him to pant harder. Sweat dripped down from his forehead to his cheek. It was time for a drink of water. Kiyomaro straightened out his back and looked toward the water fountain. With slow steps he approached the fountain bypassing his physical Ed teacher as he did so.

The older man held a clipboard in one hand, a pen in the other. "Shikimori is absent again?"

Kiyomaro's eyes widened as he looked at his teacher. Absent? Again? He blinked his eyes in confusion. Ureshii had skipped P.E. yesterday as well as today? The prodigy bit down on his lip as he continued to step passed his teacher and toward the water fountain. Strange, how Ureshii liked to pick and choose which class she would attend. Although it wasn't a far cry from what _he_ used to do, that was until Gash came into the picture.

Kiyomaro bent down in front of the water fountain. His index finger pressed on the button and water flowed. He opened his mouth and allowed the water to enter, quenching his thirst. As he sipped on the water the smell of smoke entered his nose. The scent caused his to squint his eyes and pull away from the fountain. The smell caused a sort of burning sensation in his eyes and throat as he inhaled the smoke.

"What the?" He looked left then right in confusion.

The smoke entered Kiyomaro's nostrils causing him to choke. He began to cough aloud. He then lifted his hand to his mouth and nose, what an awful smell. Kiyomaro felt the urge to follow his nose and looked to the right. A small stream of smoke entered his line of sight and caused him to jolt forward. Perhaps it was a small fire in the gym?

He walked behind to building, fearing that an arisen had started a fire. As he turned the corner he saw a body kneeling down on the ground. The female was wearing casual clothes and long hair that danced in the wind. Kiyomaro stepped forward, creating a sound that caused the female to turn about and look to him. Ureshii Shikimori sat before him, a cigarette in her left hand.

"Ah, it's Takamine." Ureshii spoke in a deep voice, returning her attention to her cigarette.

He jumped back in surprise. Ureshii? He couldn't understand what she was doing here, behind the school's gym. Just to smoke? It was unlikely. Kiyomaro felt the toxic cloud enter his nose after Ureshii finished taking her latest drag. A series of coughs left his lips. Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his face, waving away the excess smoke from his space.

"You smoke?" He asked.

"How could you have guessed?" Ureshii replied her back still turned to him.

Kiyomaro felt his eyebrows tilt downward in an angry expression. What was the deal? Smoking behind the gym? He glared at Ureshii, how could she be so stupid. It was very likely that she'd be caught if she continued. Kiyomaro tried his hardest to suppress any more coughs from leaving his lips. It was obvious that his coughing was entertaining her, her chuckles and bobbing shoulders made that obvious. But he wasn't about to let this _girl_ make him look foolish. The brown-haired male watched as Ureshii took another long drag on her cigarette, letting the cloud of smoke exit her mouth shortly after.

"Smoke?" The female let a sarcastic chuckle leave her as she held up a small box in front of him.

Kiyomaro's cheek twitched at the offer. "No."

Ureshii retracted her arm and stuffed her box of cigarettes back into her jacket pocket. "So what brings you back here, Takamine?"

"I smelled smoke." Kiyomaro answered in a simple tone.

"Ah," Ureshii's eyes peered over her shoulders at him and scanned him from foot to head. "Nice shorts." She chuckled.

He felt his cheek twitch again. "Well, I see that you're not in your school uniform yet." He said with a calm voice.

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing." Ureshii snapped, her eyes returning to the visual in front of her. "It's hideous."

Kiyomaro gave the delinquent a shrug. "You're gonna have to wear it eventually." He then lifted his right hand and scratched the side of his face. "You should get to class, teach was wondering where you were."

"What are you _yard duty_?" Ureshii hissed before placing her dying cigarette between her lips.

Kiyomaro stared at her, his eyes fixated on hers. She was going to have to show up for class _eventually_. Too many absences could mean a phone call home. The boy genius stretched his arm outward toward the female, offering to help her to her feet. Ureshii let a loud sigh into the air and snuffed her steaming cigarette out on the gravel. She then stood up straight. Her hands dusted off any remaining gravel on her pants.

"Fine," Ureshii snorted.

"I'll walk you, since we're in the same class." Kiyomaro moved his hand back to his side.

"Don't bother," Ureshii lifted her left hand. "I can walk myself, I'm a big girl."

"I can see that," He replied with a crafty remark, causing Ureshii to shoot daggers in his direction. "Are you coming?" He asked before turning his back to the girl.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Come on then."

"Just GO." She waved her hand at Kiyomaro in an effort to shoo him away. "I'll get there."

Kiyomaro let out a loud sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. He was going to wait for her; he wanted to make sure that she attended class. Ureshii let out another scowl, although it fell on deaf ears. He stood still and waited for her to catch up.

"You wanna start a fight with me, Takamine?"

"Would you just hurry up all ready?" Kiyomaro spoke to the female without turning to face her.

"I'm not going to waste any time or energy on you, Takamine." Ureshii snapped as she stepped by him and into the field. "I'll deal with you later."

Kiyomaro shrugged his shoulder and trailed after her. He felt a smile widen across his face, he had succeeded in getting Ureshii to go to class. At least that was something, even if he wasn't sure _why_ he cared.

Perhaps it was the relation he felt with her. Kiyomaro could almost see himself in Ureshii. Her bad attitude and strong dislike for anyone reminded him so much of himself before Gash came into his life. He couldn't let another person walk around and feel the same way he used to feel. He had to do something; he had to make sure that Ureshii didn't fall down the same path he was headed.

"Takamine!"

Kiyomaro twitched to the sound of his physical Ed teacher's voice. He rushed forward and stood before his teacher, his back straight.

"Who is this?" His teacher asked, nodding his head toward Ureshii.

"Shikimori Ureshii." The female spoke outwardly for herself.

Taking notice of the new girl, the remaining members of Kiyomaro's class circled the couple as they stood in front of their teacher. His ears twitched to the sound of whispers as the students stood around him. A droplet of sweat tumbled down Kiyomaro's temple as he waited for someone to speak.

"Kiyomaro, you know her?" Yamanaka appeared at his side and whispered into his ear.

"I guess you could say that." Kiyomaro replied with a small chuckle.

XoXoX

The day lingered on and the heat rose. Kiyomaro couldn't help but feel a lazy attitude coming on. School had not been out an hour and all ready he was feet from his front door. Kiyomaro had created a day plan for what was left of his day. He would relax and lounge around the house. There was no need for him to be active; it was too hot for it. He could feel the sun beating down on his back and sweat drip down his cheek. It was time for him to rush home as soon as he could. He could almost feel the crisp tap water on his tongue as he stepped faster toward his home.

Kiyomaro took one step on to his doorstep when a small cry caused him to look to the right. The small whimper was animal-like and sounded muffled. Looking left then right with nothing in sight, he looked toward the ground. Again the cry entered his ears, and finally Kiyomaro's eyes landed on a small gray kitten. The small kitten was caught in a tangle of brush and weeds. He paused for a moment, looking at his door then back to the cat. Why did this have to happen just before he had a chance to finally relax?

Kiyomaro let out a loud grunt before bending down on one knee. He reached out toward the kitten and began to untangle it from the brush. He could feel a slight stinging pain on his hands as he pushed away the prickly weeds. How could this kitten got into this mess was a complete mystery. After a few moments of struggling and whaling, the kitten broke itself free from the weeds.

"Strange," Kiyomaro mumbled to himself as he reached out toward the kitten.

The kitten let out a loud hiss, causing the boy to move backward several inches. He yipped and looked down at the back of his hand. Three long scratches began to glow bright red and swell on his hand. Kiyomaro cursed to himself, as he ran his index finger over the back of his scratched hand.

"I was just trying to see if you were all right." He frowned as he returned his attention to the animal.

The kitten let out a long mew and her tail began to puff out. Kiyomaro then narrowed his eyes at the kitten. Strange, this animal seemed somewhat familiar. He let his scratched hand cup his chin as he thought. A second later, he released his hand from his chin and snapped his fingers.

"Now I remember!" He said with delight, "You're Ureshii's kitten."

Flashbacks of the previous day popped into Kiyomaro's mind. That was right; he had seen this kitten before. He could remember seeing Ureshii standing on the school roof, feeding a small gray kitten. After the thought had processed through his mind, Kiyomaro reached down once again and lifted the kitten to eye-level. He looked straight into the kitten's eyes.

"Yeah," He spoke once again, "You're the one I saw."

The kitten mewed at him, causing him to close his eyes and laugh. Kiyomaro looked around him to see no one in the area. The male then returned his stare to the kitten. It would be dark eventually and he couldn't let the kitten fend for itself. The heat didn't make matters any better either.

Kiyomaro released a loud sigh, what was he going to do? This _was_ Ureshii's kitten after all. Perhaps he would watch her just for the night, until he could return her the following day. It was decided; Kiyomaro lifted up his shirt and began to tuck the gray kitten away under his school uniform. He felt his facial expression drop as the soft gray fur rubbed against his abdomen. He couldn't let his mother see the kitten, she would surely object to it. He bit down on his lower lip and lowered his shirt, concealing the kitten. He then moved his hand to the doorknob and twisted it open. He stepped into the house as quietly as possible, tiptoeing toward the stairs.

"Hello Kiyomaro!"

Said boy flinched to the sound of his name. He turned to look over his shoulder to see his mother standing to the left of him. Kiyomaro shifted his body to the right, trying his hardest to hide his abnormally sized belly. He lifted one hand to wave at his mom.

"How was school today?" She asked in a sweet voice.

"Fine!" Kiyomaro blurted out. "I'm going to my room now!" He shouted before his feet scurried up the stairs.

The sooner he disappeared from sight, the better.

Act End.


	4. Act Four

The Most Happy

Act Four

"I almost got caught!" Kiyomaro snapped, flipping his school uniform inside out allowing the kitten to tumble out onto his bed.

"Hey Kiyomaro!"

He flinched, that voice it was Gash. The older male turned around to see that Gash had invited himself into his room without so much as a knock. Kiyomaro dashed toward his open room door and slammed it shut. The blond looked at him with a delighted grin and watched him as he stepped toward his bed.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" Kiyomaro threw his index finger over his lips. "Keep it down."

"Why?" Gash tilted his head to one side.

Gash then moved his head to the left to look at what Kiyomaro could be hiding. A small gray ball of puff sat on his bed without a single movement. Gash's eyes grew very wide at this sight and stepped closer to the bed. Sweat dripped down Kiyomaro's face as he watched the demon approach the bedside. Gash extended his arm out toward the ball of fluff and began to give it a series of pokes. The gray ball twitched after being touched and began to stretch out to form a body. The small kitten stretched completely on Kiyomaro's bed. It then turned up to the younger boy and pawed at his finger.

"It's a kitten!" He exclaimed.

"SHHH!" Kiyomaro bent down to the imp and threw his hands over his mouth. "You have to be quiet. I can't let my mom find out about this." He whispered.

"Ohhh," Gash again began to poke at the kitten. "He's cute."

"She," He was quick to correct Gash, removing his hands from the boy's mouth. "I think I know who the owner is."

"Aw, you mean we can't keep her?" Gash frowned.

"Of course not!" Kiyomaro reached down and gave the demon a whack to the back of the head.

"_Kiyomaro!"_ Kiyomaro could hear his Mother from the room below calling to him. _"There's someone here to see you!"_

Kiyomaro began to scratch the side of his head. Who could it be? He thought for a moment, he hadn't made any plans to see any friends so he couldn't guess who would be visiting him. He looked at the kitten and grunted he had to keep this a secret from his mother. Kiyomaro reached down to the covers sitting on his bed. He then shifted the covers up and over the kitten, hiding her.

"Okay!" He shouted in return.

A pair of footsteps trotted up the stairs, they were approaching his bedroom. Kiyomaro felt his body stiffen as his mother inched closer. He looked back to see a lump under the covers. Fearing this sight would cause suspicion; he moved his body in front of the bed. The bedroom door cracked open to reveal his mother standing before him with a smile on her face.

"Go on in, Ureshii." She said with a soft voice.

Ureshii stepped in front of his Mother. Kiyomaro felt his mouth drop open as he watched Ureshii step deeper into his room. Ureshii? Here and now? He lifted his hand to his head and thought for a moment. How did she know where he lived? Shivers shot up his spin as he thought this again and again.

"Thank you, Mrs. Takamine." Ureshii looked at Kiyomaro's Mother and nodded.

"Your welcome." She replied. "Kiyomaro," She called to her son. "Be nice." She then gave her son a suggestive wink before stepping out of the room.

Kiyomaro felt his hand slap his forehead. Did she actually wink at him? What was _that_ supposed to mean? He grunted as his hand slipped down his face. His mother, how could she let Ureshii into their home? The tense male felt his body relax after his mother left the room, he then stepped to one side allowing the lump in his bed to become visible. Actually, this was perfect timing, he could return Ureshii's kitten without a hassle now.

"Please take her!" Kiyomaro threw the covers off the kitten. "Before my mom finds out!"

"I thought she'd be here." Ureshii said in a simple tone.

Kiyomaro then lifted the kitten up from his bed and into his arms. He stepped over toward Ureshii and shoved the cat into her arms. She looked down at the kitten with a dull expression. She then looked back up at Kiyomaro with the same dull face.

"What?" Kiyomaro asked the female.

"Nothing." Ureshii shook her head from side to side. "Oh," She said as she looked down and noticed Gash standing beside her. "Is this your partner?"

Kiyomaro jumped backward in shock. Ureshii spoke so outwardly about Gash. He felt more sweat trickle down his face as he watched the blue-haired girl bend down to face Gash. She narrowed her eyes at Gash and then stood up straight once again.

"Nothing special there." She said.

"How'd you know my address?" Kiyomaro asked before placing his hands to his hips.

"She told me," Ureshii's eyes lowered and landed on the kitten that hung on her arms.

"What?" Kiyomaro's eyebrow twitched. "You're lying."

"You think so?"

"Yes!" Kiyomaro growled.

Ureshii dropped the kitten to the floor. The small gray kitten's feet hit the floor with a small thud. She then removed her backpack from his back and unlatched the belt locking the bag. She then reached down into the bag and pulled out a magenta-colored book. Kiyomaro and Gash felt their mouths open and a gasp leave their lips as Ureshii flipped open the book. She used her index finger to point out a sentence in her book. She then opened her mouth wide and spoke.

"_Hosporuk_!"

A bright white light flashed within the tiny room, blinding both males. The two boys let out another gasp as the light pour out from the windows. The shape of the small kitten was changing right before their eyes. The small kitten grew out and began to shape shift. The light began to dim and Kiyomaro removed his arms from his face. There standing in the place of the gray kitten was a small child. Kiyomaro's mouth dropped open, was this her demon partner?

"Meet my partner, Ne."

"Ne?" Kiyomaro and Gash shouted together as they stared at the small child before them.

The small pink-haired female stood just as tall as Gash. Two brown cat-like ears sprouted from the sides of her head and a brown tail curled around her left leg. Her black dress floated just under her fingertips and slowly flapped in the wind that entered the room through a small window.

"It's nice to meet you." Ne said with a small squeak and bowed before Kiyomaro and Gash. "What's your name?" She looked the blond with wide eyes.

"I'm Gash Bell!" He announced with pride, one fist on his chest. "Are these real?" He asked as he stepped toward Ne and placed his hands on her feline ears.

"Feel for yourself!" She mewed with delight.

Gash awed after applying pressure to one of Ne's brown ears. He let his mouth open wide while he pressed her ear between his fingers. The fur covering her ears was appeared to be soft and most likely, sensitive to the touch. The young demon let out a small giggle while her ear was being caressed.

"Oh Kiyomaro!" Gash turned his head to face his partner. "Feel them! They're so soft!"

"No!" Kiyomaro shouted, "I will not _touch_ them!"

A small purring sound caused Gash to look back at the girl with curious eyes. "Oh and she purrs too!"

"Gash!" Kiyomaro stumbled forward, yanking his demon partner away from Ne. "Let go!" He shouted, causing Ne to let out a loud hiss. "She's wild!"

"Cool!" Gash smiled at the smaller female.

"Ne,"

Kiyomaro twitched to the sound of Ureshii's voice. He looked up to see the older woman call back her partner. The pink-haired girl skipped over to her side with a smile. Ne looked up to her master and purred. Ureshii looked down to Ne and placed her hand on her head. Shikimori then looked back up to Kiyomaro, as she caught him staring back at her, she shot a glare at him along with a frown.

"What's wrong?" Kiyomaro asked, feeling confused.

"You're an idiot." She said simply.

"What?" Kiyomaro released Gash to the ground, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what it sounds like." She answered in a dull voice.

"Mama," Ne looked up to the taller woman with her wide blue eyes. "Can I play with Gash?"

"Hm," Ureshii moved her hand to her lip. "I don't know. I don't trust his book holder."

"Arrgh!" Kiyomaro threw his hands on his head with frustration. "What is your problem? Why do you hate me so much?"

"Like I said before," Ureshii lifted her hand from her face and to eye-level. "I hate all men." She said as she inspected her fingernails.

"Well, that doesn't mean Ne and I can't play, right?" Gash jumped forward, grabbing said girl by her tiny pale hand.

"Right," Ne gave Gash a firm head nod before she wrapped her arms around him embracing him in a hug.

Kiyomaro looked down at the two smaller children. The small pink-haired female appeared to be Ureshii's polar opposite in everyway. Ne was all smiles and giggles while Ureshii seemed to be all frowns and snarls. He had to wonder, how did they communicate with one another? Being so different, how did they get along as partners? He and Gash shared some personality traits and they had always made a great team but how did Ureshii and Ne work?

"How did you two even get together?" Kiyomaro asked bluntly as he narrowed his eyes on Ureshii.

"Why is it important?" She snarled in return.

"Lighten up, mama!" Ne turned up to Ureshii with a relaxed smile. "They just wanna be our friends."

"That's right!" Gash agreed with Ne, shooting a smile at the angry girl.

"It's not important." Ureshii folded her arms over her chest and directed her eyes toward the right wall.

"Well," Ne released Gash from her hug to shrug her shoulders. "If you don't want to tell them, I will."

"Psh," Ureshii shrugged a single shoulder, seemingly unimpressed or amused.

"It started when Ureshii was living back in England!" Ne cleared her throat before she continued to speak. "Ureshii had run away from home one night. When I found her," Ne then placed her hand on her chest with pride.

"You were a runaway?" Kiyomaro felt his emotions soften as he looked at Ureshii with a look of concern.

"Yes," Ne interrupted. "I found her sitting on the street when she offered me food to eat. It was the only food she had and she gladly gave it to me because I was hungry. "So I chose her to be my partner."

"Oh wow!" Gash replied with awe.

"I was able to convince her to go back home to _her_ mama." Ne smiled at her partner. "Then she got a transfer out here."

"Ureshii?" Kiyomaro looked to see the female standing before him with an angry look on her face. "Why did you run away from home?"

"It's none of your business." She snapped at the younger male.

"But-" Kiyomaro began; only to have Ureshii cut in.

"We should get going, Ne." She said to the smaller pink-haired female.

"Aw, are you really leaving this soon?" Gash looked at Ne with a sad expression.

"I think so." Ne let a small sigh pass her lips before looking up to Ureshii.

"Come on, Ne." Ureshii waved her arm toward the smaller female, signaling her to follow. "Takamine," She peered over her shoulder to look at Kiyomaro. "I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"All right," Kiyomaro chewed on the inside of his cheek, unsatisfied with the meeting they had shared. "Bye."

Ureshii reached outward and placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it open. The two girls then stepped out of the room. Kiyomaro and Gash now had the room to themselves. What a strange day. Kiyomaro felt his body collapse on to his bed behind him. He stretched his arms out and yawned. What now? He couldn't begin to guess why or how Ureshii had found out where he was living. Perhaps her shape shifter demon, Ne had followed him before. He wasn't sure.

Kiyomaro felt his body relax on the bed. Why would she want to follow him home? Was this a tactic of getting to know him and his partner? Perhaps it was a way to develop her battle skills, by invading the home of another book holder. Kiyomaro groaned he didn't want to think much more on the subject. Rest was all that was on his mind.

XoXoX

"I see Ms. Shikimori is absent once again."

Kiyomaro watched as his teacher, Mr. Rin stand before his classroom with a dissatisfied look stuck on his face. It was true; Ureshii Shikimori hadn't shown up for first period. Kiyomaro felt his chin sit on top of his open palm. What could be the matter with Ureshii? He could only suspect that Ureshii was once again playing hooky. This wasn't good for her grade. The boy let a sigh pass through him as he stared at her empty desk and chair. Had she gotten sick?

"Mr. Takamine," Kiyomaro perked up to the sound of his teacher calling to him. Would you mind if I asked you to deliver Ms. Shikimori's work to her home?"

"Uh," Kiyomaro felt the whole class eyeing him. "I don't know where she lives!"

"Oh, no worries." Mr. Rin flapped his hands up and down, a smile equipped on his face. "I can give you her address."

Kiyomaro sunk into his seat. This wasn't happening; there was no way he could deliver Ureshii's homework to her. That would mean taking time out of his day to go and see Ureshii -the-grump. What a way to brighten his day. Kiyomaro felt a sigh coming on, this was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Thanks in advance, Mr. Takamine!"

He felt his cheek twitch as Mr. Rin turned his back to the rest of the class. The prodigy lifted an open palm to his face and slapped his forehead. Why him of all people? Out of twenty-nine other students, he _had_ to be chosen to take work to Ureshii. It was just his luck.

XoXoX

"So we're really gonna go see Ne and Ureshii?"

Kiyomaro's brow twitched with irritation. He took his steps to Ureshii's address slowly. He wanted to delay his trip as much as possible, anything to postpone his meeting with the grump. He had brought Gash along to soften the trip up from its predicted awkwardness. Gash deserved to get out as well, seeing as his usual trips out of the house consisted of him being teased by Naomi. Perhaps Gash could play with Ne and things would go over smoother.

"Yup," Kiyomaro answered as the two made their way across a street. "My teacher gave me her address after class, so I deliver her work."

Gash didn't have a care in the world _why_ they were visiting Ureshii, just as long as he was able to play with Ne when he got there. Gash stepped down the street with a huge smile on his face; after all meeting new people and making new friends were the things the small blond was best at.

"It should be around the corner." Kiyomaro pointed with his index finger.

As the two turned the tight corner an apartment complex came into view. The complex did not appear to be very well maintained. Broken window screens, graffiti and trash littered the small complex. Kiyomaro felt his expression drop at the sight of the apartment building. Had he gotten the wrong address? He unfolded the piece of paper his teacher had given him earlier in the day. He reread the sheet only to see that he in fact had the right address.

"Second floor, number: 209." He muttered to himself.

Kiyomaro walked up to a flight of stairs. He looked up at the stairs with wide eyes. He was just steps away from meeting up with Ureshii in her own home. Was he nervous? No, that was out of the question. Perhaps it was _fear_? Either way, this had to be done. Kiyomaro took in a deep breath of air and marched up the stairs. The first door on the right was marked, 209.

"This must be it. I'm going to knock now…" He spoke to himself again.

Gash waited a moment, his eyes fixated on the taller boy. Kiyomaro lifted his balled fist to the front door. No movement came from his hand as he held it up to the door. Gash leaned in and waited for his master to make his move. Gash gave Kiyomaro a confused stare; ugh he must have looked like a weirdo just standing there like that!

"Kiyomaro?" Gash spoke in a soft tone.

"Okay!" Kiyomaro shook his head back and forth. "Here I go!"

Two solid slams came from Kiyomaro's fists as they hit the hard door. HE felt his eyes shut tight as he waited for a reply. The couple stood in front of the door, waiting for anything to happen. He could feel himself become more and more anxious as the seconds passed. Why wasn't she answering? Perhaps he had gotten the wrong address after all? It was just as Kiyomaro was about to abort that the doorknob began to turn. Sweat beads traveled down his face as he stood before the opening door. Once the door completely opened, he saw Ureshii standing before him.

"Takamine?" She questioned.

"Mama who is it?" Ne popped her small head out of the doorway.

"Ne!" Gash exclaimed.

"Oh!" Ne looked forward to see the two boys standing before her. "Gash!" She then pushed the door open as wide as it could and grabbed the blond by one hand. "Come in!" She insisted.

"Ureshii?"

Her eyes followed his voice after he called out to her. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes at the sight of him. She then stepped to one side, allowing him to enter her small apartment.

"Since your partner has all ready made himself comfortable, you might as well come in." She said with a low voice. "Close the door when you're in." She demanded, before walking inside her small home.

Kiyomaro turned around and shut the front door behind him. He walked into the apartment, his eyes wide with wonderment and curiosity. The small room only had a love seat and television set up inside. It was obvious that Ureshii had no excess funds for anything else. Beside the front door was the kitchen. The kitchen was small and only had room for a refrigerator, stove and pantry. It was amazing how small the place was, Kiyomaro could barely believe his eyes. Surely, there was another room in the backset up as the master bedroom but Kiyomaro could only assume it just as small as the kitchen.

"What did you come out here for, Takamine?" Ureshii asked, breaking Kiyomaro from his train of thought.

Kiyomaro moved his briefcase in front of his chest and opened it. "I have some homework for you." He dug down in the depths of his school bag and pulled out a few sheets of paper. "Mr. Rin asked me to deliver it to you." He then approached Ureshii and handed her the paperwork.

"Great, more crap." Ureshii took the paper and tossed it on to a small coffee table centered in the room. "Oh," She flopped down on her couch and continued to speak. "Feel free to grab something from the kitchen."

"Oh, that's okay." Kiyomaro managed to crack a smile at the female. "I made sure Gash and I ate before we got here."

"Good," Ureshii nodded, "It's not like we have a lot to offer anyway."

"What happened today?" Kiyomaro asked his head tilted to one side. "You weren't in school."

"I didn't feel like going." Ureshii shrugged her delicate shoulders in a careless manner.

"You didn't go because you didn't _feel_ like it?" Gash asked, his voice straining ever so slightly.

"Yep," She placed her hand over her mouth as she began to yawn. "Didn't want to."

"She's always like that." Ne whispered into Gash's ear.

"Kiyomaro used to be like that too!" Gash replied back in a whisper.

"Then they're more similar then I thought!" Ne giggled as she looked back to her partner.

"Ureshii," Kiyomaro stepped toward Ureshii. "Something's been bothering me. Why did you run away from home?"

"It doesn't matter, I told you." Ureshii shook her head, her eyes refusing to look at Kiyomaro. "Why do you care anyway?"

"I was just worried…" Kiyomaro felt his head hang low. "I didn't think-"

"That' right, you didn't think," She interrupted him with a sarcastic tone. "Because you're a man."

"That has nothing to do with it!" Kiyomaro balled up his fist and shook it at the difficult female. "What happened to you?"

"Just drop it," She snorted.

"Ureshii!"

"What?" Ureshii shot a glare in his direction. "What do you really want, Takamine?"

Kiyomaro began to speak in a softer tone, "Noting, I just-"

"I know what you're here for," Ureshii swung her feet around to touch the floor before standing up. "You're here to get information on me and my partner!" She shouted, stepped toward Kiyomaro with her finger extended to him.

"That's not true!" Kiyomaro snapped back.

"Just leave then!" Ureshii barked before moving her index finger toward the front door.

"But mama!" Ne whined at her partner.

"Quiet, Ne." Ureshii moved her hands to her hips and continued to glare at Kiyomaro.

"Come on Gash," He snarled. "Let's go."

Ureshii escorted the two boys out the front door. Kiyomaro had to admit it, this was the most irritated he had felt at the female. He had never thought that she would be so rude to him. Kiyomaro stepped out of the apartment with quick steps. Gash followed after him, tugging on his pant leg the whole way. The front door let out a loud slam after the two boys exited the apartment. They both flinched at the slam and stood up straight.

"What a grump."

XoXoX

"_So she kicked you out, just like that?"_

What was her problem? Kicking him out of her apartment like that? Kiyomaro could only assume that this was her normal behavior. In the short time he had known Ureshii; she had always exhibited the same attitude. She was cold, bitter and antisocial. It must be due to her pervious living arrangement. Perhaps she had family problems? Kiyomaro let his body fall back on to his bed, the telephone in one hand.

He had been speaking with his friend Yamanaka over the phone. He had explained what had happened during their last meeting in an effort to find comfort somewhere. Of course, Yamanaka couldn't resist laughing at him for his failed efforts with the transfer student.

"Yeah just like that." Kiyomaro replied with a sigh.

"_Sounds like she's gonna be a tough one to break!"_ Yamanaka said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiyomaro cocked a brow.

"_Well_," Yamanaka began, "_That's what we used to say about you before you came around. You know, when you were antisocial. But you came around!"_

"Really?" Kiyomaro paused for a moment.

"_Yep_."

Was he really like Ureshii back then? Kiyomaro twitched at this thought. Was he really that cold that mean to others before Gash came into his life? He felt sick to his stomach as the memories flooded his mind. He would skip school, refuse to do his household duties and disrespect his mother…was that really him? Kiyomaro couldn't let someone else face the anger and depression he once felt. There wasn't a person on Earth that deserved to feel as miserable as he once felt.

Perhaps it was _his_ turn to help someone.

Act End.


	5. Act Five

The Most Happy

Act Five

"So I guess Shikimori did live up to her reputation."

Suzume's voice vibrated in Kiyomaro's ear. He lifted his milk carton to his lips and took a long sip. It was now lunch period and he had spent the whole morning explaining what happened between himself and Ureshii. How she kicked him out of her house and how rude she was to him while he was there. Kiyomaro's friends were coming to the realization that Ureshii Shikimori was just as her reputation presented her to be: A tough girl.

"I guess we were. I thought the rumors were true after all." Yamanaka sighed as he crumbled up his brown lunch bag and tossed it over his shoulder, on to the floor.

"She's just very hard to understand." Kiyomaro replied looking at the mess Yamanaka had created on the ground.

"She sounds like a rude snob." Mariko added before bending down and picking up the bag from the floor. "It'd be best if we stayed as far away from her as possible." She said, tossing the bag into the trashcan beside her.

Was that really the best plan? To stay away from Ureshii? Kiyomaro found it hard to digest, to let someone in such pain stay that way. There was more he could do for her; there was more he could expose her to. She needed friends of her own, a group to call friends. Kiyomaro clenched the empty milk carton in one hand; he couldn't let Ureshii alone until she had friends of her own. Gash had done the same thing for him now he could return the favor. He had to help her.

"She seems otherworldly!" Iwashima lifted one hand into the air.

"Not again," Yamanaka lifted his hand to his head in shame.

"Hey there, losers,"

The group jumped to the sound of Kane's voice. They turned about at the same time to see the taller male standing behind them. It was about time Kane showed up, he had been late to school and the group had grown concern for his whereabouts.

"Hiya Kane!" Suzume rushed to the redhead with a delighted smile.

"So what's been going on since I've been gone?" Kane placed his hand on his hip, a grin equipped on his face.

"Nothing much," Mariko spoke for the group, "Just talking about that snob Shikimori."

Kane began silent for a moment before gasping, "What did you say?"

"Kiyomaro tried being nice to that girl, Ureshii, but she blew him off." Yamanaka said with a heavy sigh, "Kiyomaro's girlfriend is very difficult apparently."

"Girlfriend?" Suzume let out a loud whine as he began to tug on Yamanaka's dress shirt.

"GIRLFRIEND?" Kane reached outward toward Yamanaka and lifted him up from the ground by his shirt collar.

"She's NOT my girlfriend!" Kiyomaro jumped to his own defense.

"Cool it," Yamanaka lifted his two empty hands to Kane. "What's the big deal anyway?"

Kane then released Yamanaka from his grip. Yamanaka's feet made a thud as they hit the dirt. The largest male then turned away from the group, in an effort to hide his face. "I met her this morning," He spoke with a soft tone. "Ureshii Shikimori." Kane turned back around to the group with a pair of bright red cheeks.

XoXoX

"_What did they possibly do without me?" Kane spoke to himself as he stepped inside the hallways of Mochinoki junior high. "I'm sure they were lost without me!" _

_As he stepped through the halls a small crowd of students stood in his way. Growing frustrated with the amount of time it was taking to get through the whole crowd, Kane began to push his peers aside. They all had gathered around someone, he wasn't sure who it could be. To his knowledge there was no need for excitement, so what was with the crowd? Finally reaching his boiling point, Kane found himself in the center of the crowd. He looked left then right; he saw nothing out of the ordinary. This became frustrating quickly. He clenched both fists and began to shout. _

"_Who's blocking traffic?" He called out to his peers. _

"_I am."_

_Kane turned to the sound of a female voice. He looked over his shoulder to see a taller dark-haired woman standing behind him. The girl's thick, long hair danced in the warm air that circulated within the hall. He felt heat rise up in his cheeks. Wait, was he blushing? Kane turned around to face the female completely. His hand lifted to his cheek and felt the warmth there. _

"_You're beautiful!" He shouted his mouth wide open. _

"_Sorry for the crowd," The female lifted a solo hand into the air and passed by Kane, the crowd following as she stepped away from sight. _

"_Hey!" He called out to a passing female student and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Who is that girl?"_

"_That's the new transfer student," His peer answered. "Ureshii Shikimori."_

"_Ureshii…" Kane looked down the hall with longing eyes. "Shikimori…"_

XoXoX

"That's how we met!" Kane slammed his closed fist on his chest with pride.

"She ignored you, just like she did to Kiyomaro." Mariko hissed as she jerked her thumb back in said boy's direction.

"Well, everyone ignores, Takamine!" Kane snapped back, shooting a glare at Kiyomaro. "Who cares if she was rude to _him_?"

"She didn't ignore me!" Kiyomaro intervened, "Besides, she just has a 'tough girl' exterior. She's not all bad."

"And how would you know?" Mariko looked at Kiyomaro with a cocked brow.

"I know her." He said.

"Well," Kane puffed out his chest, "You better stay away from _my girl_, Takamine." He then reached out toward the male genius and grabbed him by his dress shirt collar.

"Don't worry, I will!" Kiyomaro ripped Kane's hand away from his shirt.

"How romantic!" Suzume interlaced her fingers in front of her chest.

"Suzume!" Kiyomaro turned to the female with a glare.

Kane turned up his nose to the group and put on his cockiest grin. "I'm going to find her and make her mine! So if you don't mind," He turned his back the group. "I'll see you later."

Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his head and began to scratch his scalp. "Have fun."

XoXoX

Kane stomped down the hallway, pride in every step. He was going to find Ureshii and make her his one and only. With a clenched fist, he stuck his chest out as much as he could and marched along. Ureshii shouldn't be hard to find, and once he did locate her He would make her the happiest gal on Earth. He looked down every hall, his eyes darting from left to right. He scanned every extending hall, making sure that Ureshii hadn't slipped by him. For a moment it appeared hopeless, Ureshii was nowhere to be found until,

_BAM._

Kane felt his body slam into one of his peers. He let a grunt pass through him as his backside hit the hallway floor. The redhead's ears vibrated to the sound of another thud; his peer had fallen to the floor as well. He cursed to himself before opening a single eye.

"Hey watch it!" He shouted as his eyes focused on the body in front of him.

As Kane's blurred vision came into view, it was apparent that the peer he had bumped into was not a stranger. It was Ureshii Shikimori. The older female was sitting on the floor in front of him. He felt his mouth drop open with shock after staring at the female for a moment or two.

"I wasn't expecting _you_ again." Ureshii spoke in her low tone, one hand on her forehead.

"Let me help you up, Shikimori!" Kane jumped to his feet and reached out to the fallen female.

Ureshii's pale eyes darted up to look Kane straight in the eye. "Don't call me that," She said after refusing his hand and standing up on her own two feet.

"What?" Kane retracted his arm and tilted his head to one side.

"Don't call me _Shikimori_." She replied as she dusted off her jeans with her two hands. "Only people I loathe call me by my last name. I don't loathe you."

"Really?" Kane felt his hand reach to the back of his neck.

"I don't even know your name," Ureshii's voice stayed at its low pitch as she continued. "Why would I hate you?"

Kane felt a red blush appear on his face. A warm liquid then began to trickle down his right nostril. Kane stood in front of Ureshii his eyes wide open. He watched as Ureshii reached down into her jean pocket and pull out a small tissue. She then lifted it to Kane.

"Your nose is bleeding," She said. "You must have bumped it. Here."

Kane reached out to take the tissue from Ureshii's hand. It was then the male's larger hand touched the female's pale hand. He felt his face reach an all-time hot. Was he actually _touching_ her? Kane took a gentle grip on the tissue and lifted it to his nose. He couldn't believe his luck; he was being nursed back to health by Ureshii Shikimori.

"You're one of Takamine's friends aren't you?" Ureshii pulled back her arm.

"You could say that," Kane then began to dab his nose with the white tissue. "He's a nerd though."

"That's putting it lightly." Ureshii let a sarcastic laugh leave her lips.

"Don't worry," Kane gripped his free hand and shook it in the air. "I'll make sure he'll never get near you!" His voice grew loud as he spoke. "No nerds go near my gal!"

The transfer student paused. The color drained from her face for a short second before a dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks. She lifted her right hand to her forehead as if to check her temperature.

"Hey," Kane's voice broke Ureshii from her train of thought. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes." Ureshii cleared her throat and lowered her hand from her forehead. "I should get going. Lunch should be over in a few minutes. My next class will be starting soon."

"Wait," Kane lifted his hand to the girl, urging her to stop. "I think we have the same class next."

Ureshii lifted her finger to her lip. "Fine. Let's go."

XoXoX

"Come on Kiyomaro, give her a call!"

Kiyomaro growled under his breath. Gash was bothering him once again. He wasn't quite sure _why_ Gash was so insistent on calling Ureshii; all he did know was that it was bothersome. Why call a grump like her? He didn't want to be barked at over the phone if he did call. What was so important about Ureshii that he had to call her that second? Kiyomaro knew what Gash wanted, Gash wanted to play with Ne. He wasn't ecstatic at the thought of calling Ureshii, after the day he had.

The entire school day Kiyomaro made an effort to stay away from Ureshii. The influence of his friends had caused him to stay away from the female. The idea of losing what little friends he had didn't thrill him. His friends didn't seem impressed by Ureshii's reputation and would rather stay away from her all together. In truth, he didn't want to ignore the female, he just wanted her to find friends of her own, in this way he wouldn't feel guilty about seeing her alone.

"I can't just call her up whenever I want, Gash." Kiyomaro looked down to the small blonde-haired boy.

Gash lifted the telephone from the kitchen table and walked toward him. He then began to poke Kiyomaro's leg with the phone's antenna. The taller male groaned and rolled his eyes. Gash then put on his best puppy-dog eyes and stared up at his partner.

"Come on Kiyomaro, have her number don't ya?"

It was true; Kiyomaro _did_ have Ureshii's phone number, his teacher Mr. Rin had given it to him the day he sent him to deliver her homework to her apartment. Kiyomaro sighed before reaching down into his pant pocket. A crumbled sheet of paper appeared in his hand as he brought his hand out into the light. Kiyomaro then unfolded the paper and his eyes scanned the paper. Written on the paper was Ureshii's address and phone number. Should he call her? Would she shout at him? Would she be angry with him for ignoring her?

There was only one way to find out.

"Fine," Kiyomaro gave into Gash's demands with a grunt. "I'll give it a shot. Maybe I should invite her over."

"Good!" A large smile spread across Gash's face.

Kiyomaro took the phone from Gash's small hands. He then brought the phone up to chest-level. He then let his fingers tap along the surface of the phone. He pressed in Ureshii's home phone number and lifted the phone to his ear. He waited for a moment and listened for any answer.

"Is she picking up?" Asked an eager Gash.

"Wait a minute." Kiyomaro snapped, lifting his free hand to cover his open ear.

"_Hello?"_ A familiar voice picked up on the other line.

"Uh, hi Ureshii?" Kiyomaro nearly leaped out of his shoes, his nerves rattling around in his gut.

"_Takamine? Where did you get my number?"_ Ureshii's voice hissed through the phone and into his ear.

"Mr. Rin gave it to me." Kiyomaro answered the female with a quick response. "I just wanted to-"

"_Oh so it's all right to speak to me once your little friends aren't watching?"_ Her voice stabbed his eardrum like a knife through warm butter.

"That's not it at all!" Kiyomaro shouted into his phone. "I just…just…"

"_Just what?"_

"Nothing. Look, I'm sorry all right?" Kiyomaro relaxed his shoulders and sighed.

"_Whatever."_ Ureshii said with a simple tone. _"What do you want then? Why did you call me?"_

"I wanted to know if you could bring Ne over," Kiyomaro explained. "Gash would really enjoy it."

"_Fine_," Ureshii agreed without hesitation. _"I need to talk to you anyway."_

"You do?" Kiyomaro questioned, feeling at odds with this news.

"_Yeah. I'll be over in a few."_ A loud click informed Kiyomaro that Ureshii had hung up on her end of the line.

Kiyomaro lowered the phone from his face and smiled at Gash. The demon would finally get a play date with a new friend. It was about time Gash did some socializing of his own, it would get him out of Kiyomaro's hair for a while anyway. Although the prospect of Ureshii speaking to him in private did worry him, what could be so important that she'd have to speak to him face-to-face?

"They'll be here soon." Kiyomaro said to Gash.

"Really?" Gash exclaimed with excitement.

"Yeah." He looked away from Gash and frowned.

What could it be? Kiyomaro could only guess what this could mean. Perhaps Ureshii would finally tell him about her past or maybe it was about school. The unknown caused his stomach to turn, what could it be?

XoXoX

Ne walked ahead of Ureshii as the two strolled down the street. Ureshii looked around at the landmarks, no doubt the older woman had the whole neighborhood memorized, she was heading the right way. Ne looked up at her trailing partner with curious, wide eyes. The smaller girl had to admit; this was quite exciting, meeting up with another demon. She hadn't had much luck with finding friends since coming to the human realm. All the demons she had seen since arriving had been enemies that she commenced in battle. This was different however, a new friend. Ne could barely contain her energetic enthusiasm.

"So we're going to play with Kiyomaro and Gash?" She continued to stare at her partner.

"Yeah, this should be the place." Ureshii turned one tight corner with her partner and stood in front of a large house.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ne let out a loud mew before jumping at the front door, fist ready for knocking.

"Wait," Ureshii stepped toward her demon partner.

Ne turned around to face the older female. Ureshii bent down on a single knee and reached down into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a small blue bandana and beckoned Ne to come closer to her. Ne complimented her partner by skipping in her direction. The smaller female lowered her head to Ureshii and paused. Her master then began to wrap the bandana around the top of her head. After tucking her cat-like ears under the cloth, her superior stood up straight.

"Thanks!" Ne squeaked after she was finished knotting the cloth behind her head.

Ureshii lifted her hand in reply and shook her head. The older woman stepped by Ne and walked toward the front of Kiyomaro's home. She lifted her fist to the door and tapped on the hard wood door twice. The light tap didn't seem to amuse Ne, who jumped at the chanced at knocking two more times. The feline slammed her tiny fists on the door as hard as she could. The door creaked open to reveal Hana Takamine. Upon resting her eyes on Ureshii, Hana's frown turned into a smile.

"Oh, Ureshii!" She said in her usual sweet tone. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Your son invited me." Ureshii said with a simple tone and blank expression.

"Oh, he didn't mention anything…" Hana lifted her index finger to her lower lip. "But its fine, come on in." She replied, stepping to one side to allow the two females inside.

"Thank you." Ureshii nodded her head once before stepping into the large house.

"And who is this?" Hana giggled as she bent down to come face-to-face with Ne.

"This is my younger sister, Ne." Ureshii bit down on her lower lip. It was a little white lie, but it should be okay for the time being, right?

"She's adorable." Hana lifted her open palm and patted Ne on her head.

"It's nice to meet you!" Ne mewed.

"Aw," She removed her had from Ne's head and giggled once again. "Cute!"

Just then a pair of thundering footsteps stomped down the stairs. Hana stood up straight and swirled around to see her son coming down the stairs at a high speed. He jumped out, Gash following behind and stood in front of his mother and Ureshii. Almost out of breath, his chest puffed up and down.

"Hey," He said in a bland voice, "You actually came."

"Yeah, yeah." Ureshii snorted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Ne!" Gash shouted as he halfway tumbled down the last two steps on the stairs.

Ne felt her spirits lift as she watched the blonde boy stumbled toward her. She opened her arms up wide and leaped over toward Gash. She wrapped her small arms around him and let out a squeal before nuzzling her face in his shoulder.

"Gash!" Her voice became muffled the more she snuggled further into the boy's shoulder.

"Hey," Ureshii spoke outwardly, catching Kiyomaro's attention. "Are you hungry?"

"Um," Kiyomaro lifted his hands and placed them on to his belly. "A little, I guess."

"Fine then," She uncrossed her arms from her chest and waved to the confused male to follow her. "Let's go."

"Go where?" He felt his brow cock in question.

"Go out to eat." Ureshii turned her back.

"But-"

"Just come on," She snapped, causing the younger student to jump back slightly.

"I can watch these two for you," Hana Takamine patted her son on the shoulder and smiled at him.

Kiyomaro returned a smile to his mother, "Thanks."

XoXoX

The couple walked down the street in silence. What was he doing out like this, Kiyomaro had to wonder. Taking a stroll beside the girl with the worst reputation in school? He had to be crazy, what if someone saw them together? Kiyomaro had to admit to himself; it didn't look very good for the two of them to be together. After all, he had just gotten over his own bad rep. He didn't want to impair his status with his friends, when he was just finished creating his own social life.

"Where are we going?" Kiyomaro finally broke the silence between them with a simple question.

"That cupcake bakery in town." Ureshii answered the boy without even looking in his direction.

"What?" Kiyomaro blinked in surprise. "I heard that's the most expensive bakery in town! I can't afford that."

"Did I ask you for money?" Ureshii asked her eyes still fixated on the street ahead of her.

"No."

"Then shut up." Ureshii growled before reaching down into her jacket pocket and pulling out a box of cigarettes.

Kiyomaro watched as the female pulled out a single stick from the box. She returned the box into her jacket pocket. While her hand was in her pocket, Ureshii pulled out a familiar-looking lighter. Ureshii placed the cigarette between her lips and held the lighter up to her mouth. A few clicks caused a flame to appear in front of her face. She lit the cigarette and released her finger from the lighter. Placing the lighter back into her pocket, Ureshii took a long drag on her cigarette.

"Just enjoy yourself, Takamine." She spoke as smoke exited her mouth and entered the air.

Kiyomaro felt his hand lift to his head. "I'll try."

Act End.


	6. Act Six

The Most Happy

Act Six

"So we're here."

Kiyomaro let out a sigh of relief as the two stood outside the large cupcake bakery. He had to admit, he was amazed by the sheer size of the building, such a massive shop for a bakery that specialized in cupcakes. He'd often heard of this bakery, its cupcakes were considered 'gourmet' and were held to a very high standard. When the large shop first opened lines of customers stood for hours outside waiting for their chance to taste the baked good. Kiyomaro had always wondered to himself if this place lived up to its reputation but he never had the time or money to try it. Today was different however; he was standing before the shop with Ureshii. Kiyomaro turned his attention to the female to see that she was snuffing out her cigarette under her foot.

"So-" He began but was quickly cut short by Ureshii lifting her hand to him.

"Let's just get a seat," She said before pushing open the bakery doors.

Kiyomaro felt his frustration level rise. What was her deal, ordering him around as if he were a child? He followed the taller female and stepped into the bakery. As he entered he was bombarded with visions of sweets laid out before him. Cupcakes of all different varieties stood before him, just waiting for a taste. The male watched as Ureshii stood before the counter with her hand glued to her hip.

"Order something, Takamine." She said with a glare.

Kiyomaro twitched, again with the demands? He shook off the order and looked at the display before him. He scanned the display until his eyes landed on a particular sweet. He pointed out his desired good to the woman behind the counter. Without hesitation the woman pulled out the dessert and handed it to Kiyomaro. Ureshii then looked up and chose her own cupcake and headed over to the registered.

"Sit down; I'll be with you in a second." Ureshii said as she whipped out her wallet.

Kiyomaro shrugged his shoulders. He then turned around and headed for a nearby seat. As he took his seat he finally had some time to think to himself. What was he doing here with another book holder? Weren't they supposed to be enemies? What was he doing sharing a treat with one of his enemies? Kiyomaro looked to the floor, was he getting himself into a bigger mess then he needed to? His head darted upward after hearing a small pair of footsteps coming closer to him. He looked up to see Ureshii approaching him. She took a seat across from him without a word.

"Ureshii," Kiyomaro was the first to break the silence. "How many spells to you and Ne know?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, such a direct question at such an odd time. Was she offended? Ureshii lifted her cupcake to her mouth, taking one small bite out of it. She then brought the sweet away from her mouth.

"Three." She said before moving a white napkin to her lips.

"Ah," Kiyomaro's eyes lowered to the cupcake in front of him.

"But Ne's attacks are different from others." She spoke in a low tone. "Her attacks are bits and pieces of larger attacks. She can only perform a few moves at one time."

"Oh," Kiyomaro mumbled once again.

"What's the matter, Takamine?" Ureshii let a small chuckle leave her mouth. "You're usually a bit more chatty than this."

"There's just something strange about you," Kiyomaro began to speak, his voice deeper than usual. "You didn't challenge me when we first met…and you still haven't. Why haven't you?"

Ureshii lifted her hand to her mouth, to cover her mouth as she laughed. "You're not as important as you think you are," She said between laughs. "You are no use to me so why fight you?"

"What?" Kiyomaro glared at the female. "What are you up to?" He shot up from his seat and slammed his open hands down on the small table.

"That's why I asked you out here." Ureshii closed her eyes, ignoring his sudden actions. "I told you I needed to talk to you, didn't I?"

Kiyomaro hesitated for a moment. "…Yes."

"As you can tell, Ne is different." The blue-haired girl reopened her eyes and stared at the boy sitting in front of her. "Ne and I are on a mission, we're searching for her family."

"Family?" Kiyomaro tilted his head to one side.

"Yes," The rebel rested her chin on one open palm. "Ne is one of six demons who escaped in to the real world when the gateway was opened. The same gateway that allowed Gash and the others demons through, Ne snuck through with five other demons."

"Wait," Kiyomaro lifted one hand to Ureshii. "Are you saying there are _more_ demons? More than the original one hundred?"

"One hundred and six."

One hundred and six? Kiyomaro felt his world pause before him. Sounds and motions became muffled and blurred. This couldn't be true. There was no way this sort of thing could happen. Kiyomaro felt his stomach take a turn for the worst as he stared at Ureshii. She sat in front of him, silent to his reaction. Her eyes were as still and cold as ever and her hair swayed in the warm air.

"If six demons could slip through, does that mean more could have?" Kiyomaro spoke after a moment or two of shock.

Ureshii removed her chin from her open palm and shut her eyes once again. "I have no idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea?" He slammed one fist down onto the table.

Ureshii's eyes snapped open. "I have _no _idea."

"Perfect!" Kiyomaro snorted with frustration.

"All I know is that I have to find those five," She said, her voice still calm. "I have to find them for Ne."

He cocked a brow, what was with the sudden act of kindness? "Why?"

"Ne," Ureshii bit down on her lip after pausing for a moment. "Brought me home. She convinced me to go back home after I ran away. She saved me, so I have to repay the debt."

It was all beginning to make sense now. Kiyomaro narrowed his eyes on Ureshii, whose eyes were fixated on her baked good. So this was the reason why Ureshii and Ne were so intent on fighting and winning. This was the reason why Ureshii didn't trust any other book holder. All the pieces seemed to fit together, all the pieces except for one thing.

"Ureshii," The girl's head lifted as Kiyomaro spoke to her. "Why did you run away?"

"It's none of your business." Her eyebrows lowered.

"You know I _might_ be able to help you out if you told me!" Kiyomaro snapped at the female.

"I didn't ask for your help!" Ureshii hissed in return. "And what could someone like _you_ do for me?" She threw her head back in loud laughter. "As I recall, you like to keep your distance from me."

"That's not true!"

"It isn't?" Ureshii moved her right hand in front of her mouth and let out another set of giggles. "When you're little friends are around, things tend to be different."

He grunted before turning his face away and crossing his arms over his chest. What was this girl's problem? Didn't she want the help he was offering? Kiyomaro could not stand how rude this female was. It was obvious she wanted some kind of help, just by asking him to come out with her, so what was with the crud behavior? This girl was so difficult! This had to be the most rude woman he had ever come into contact with.

"I'm telling you this for a reason," Ureshii's voice broke Kiyomaro from his thoughts. "I wanted to ask you, if you've ever fought someone who looked similar to Ne."

He paused for a moment. No, there wasn't anyone similar to Ne in his background but should Kiyomaro tell Ureshii that? Would it be giving in to her if he did? He hated the idea of giving in to anyone let alone someone as rude as Ureshii. Then again, by not giving her this information it would be hurting Ne. The small demon child had done nothing to upset or harm him or Gash so why not lend her a helping hand?

"No."

"Ah," Ureshii nodded her head in a slow motion. "Good." She lifted herself out of the seat and gave Kiyomaro a heavy stare. "Let's get going then."

"Sure," He rose out of his seat, only to look at his untouched sweet sitting in front of him.

"Take it with you," Ureshii said. "Let's just get going."

"All right, all right!" Kiyomaro waved his hand back and forth at the female, sending her a message to relax.

Ureshii threw both arms into the air and turned her back to Kiyomaro. After a moment or two of tapping her foot, the older woman peered over her shoulder to see him up straight and ready to leave. She brushed passed him and made a quick exit out of the bakery, leaving her single-bitten treat behind. Kiyomaro trailed behind, his treat in a take-out bag. This was going to be one long walk home.

XoXoX

"That's what she took me out to tell me."

Kiyomaro finished explaining the real reason for his outing to Gash with a sigh. The day, for the most part, had passed by quickly. Before he knew it, he and Ureshii-the-grump had come back and it was time for his blond demon's new friend, Ne to leave for the day.

Gash had listened with wide eyes. Ne was missing her family that _had_ to make the kind imp worry for his latest pal. No doubt he wanted to help in some way. Ugh, how could he deny his partner that?

"Kiyomaro!" Gash balled up both of his fists. "We have to help them!" His voice echoed within the small walls of Kiyomaro's room.

"What?" He fell back on his bed. "Why?"

"Because Ne is my friend!" Gash shouted.

"Gash, we're all ready on a mission." Kiyomaro spoke to the blonde, his back still flat on the bed.

"We…are?" Gash lifted his index finger to his lip.

"Yes!" Kiyomaro pushed himself up right to face the boy. "We have to make you King remember?"

"Oh." He lowered his head for a moment. "But can't we help them in the meantime?" Gash's depressed tone caused the prodigy to sigh. "Ne is my friend."

Kiyomaro looked down to his feet. Gash appeared to be so motivated to help Ne and Ureshii. How could he say no now? It was very obvious that Gash and Ne had become fast friends although he and Ureshii did not see eye-to-eye. How could he work around this? She was so rude, so mean how could this work? He found Ureshii's attitude frustrating and bothersome, she would only become a burden. Then again this wasn't for _her_ this was for Ne.

"Argh!" Kiyomaro threw his hands on his head. "Fine!" He shouted before once again falling back on his bed. "Just for a little while! Just until she finds her friends, okay?"

"Thanks Kiyomaro!" Gash leaped on the older boy, causing him to yip in shock.

He patted the blonde boy on the head. "Yeah, yeah."

XoXoX

"Good morning everyone!"

Mr. Rin announced himself to the class as he stepped through the classroom door. Kiyomaro was pleasantly surprised on this morning; Ureshii had decided to show up for school. She sat in front of him still dressed in her causal attire. This would no doubt get her in trouble and cause a mark on her grade. Kiyomaro had to admit; his first period class became more interesting the days _she_ decided to show up.

Before Ureshii showed up Kiyomaro's first and last period classes became very dull. None of Kiyomaro's closest friends attended the first period drama class. Suzume and the others had their drama class at the last period of the day. With the addition of Ureshii in first period, Kiyomaro was finding the class less and less miserable; at least there was another person to talk to. Although there was not much talking going on between Kiyomaro and Ureshii, he had to assume that she was still sore about the pervious day.

How could she still be angry? Kiyomaro felt a large exhale of air leave his mouth as he stared at her back. He had to wonder, when would be the best time to tell her that he was interested in helping her find Ne's family?

"Today," Mr. Rin spoke over the class. "I have an announcement. We are going to begin a very special project, a play."

The class began to stir after the words had left Mr. Rin's mouth. A play? Kiyomaro could care less. He let his eyes roll before letting his chin sit on an open palm. This was the last thing he needed, a social event to plague his time.

Mr. Rin lifted his hands to the class to silence the group. "Now, I will be using all of my drama classes in this play," Kiyomaro felt his shoulders relax; at least he wouldn't be alone in this event. "This play will be a reading from the book we've been studying, Romeo and Juliet."

The class stirred once again. Romeo and Juliet, the most romantic play to ever be written? The girls were quick to turn to giggles before looking at the potential Romeos in the classroom. Kiyo, along with the other boys, released a sigh, why did Mr. Rin have to pick such a lame play? Wouldn't Ceaser be a better fit for the class?

"I have all ready chosen my Romeo and Juliet," Mr. Rin then bent down in front of his desk and picked up a stack of papers. "I have studied all of my classes and I think I have the perfect couple." The room fell dead silent. "For the role of Juliet I have chosen," It was if all the students in the classroom leaned forward to get a better listen. "Shikimori Ureshii."

The air in the room became very heavy in this moment. Ureshii? Thee rumored tough-girl of the school? The boy genius felt a laugh tickle at his lungs. What the heck, since when was _she _a good role for someone like Juliet? Perhaps the teacher wasn't in his right mind. How very odd.

Mr. Rin flipped through his sheets of paper until he landed on a single line. "And the role of Romeo will be played by," He paused as he looked about the room, scanning the students, who sat in impatiently awaiting the announcement of whom would be playing Romeo. "Romeo will be played by, Yamanaka."

The room filled with laughter. This time he couldn't resist the urge to laugh, Yamanaka as Romeo was an entertaining thought. The jock had hardly made himself known in the small drama class and now all of a sudden he was the star of the school's play? It was just to amusing to be true. Things couldn't get any funnier.

"My decision was based on the individual readings of each student." Mr. Rin added.

"Excuse me," A single hand darted into the air.

"Yes, Ureshii?" Mr. Rin called on the usual silent female.

"What if someone does not want to take part in the play?" She asked in her dull, bland voice.

"You don't want to be Juliet?" Mr. Rin gave Ureshii a confused stare, "Well, taking part in the play _would_ give certain students extra credit."

Ureshii paused for a moment; no doubt the idea of extra credit had intrigued her. After all she was losing points daily from her refusal to wear the school uniform. The casual absent didn't help either. Perhaps this stupid play was her way of getting an easy passing grade. It became obvious that another question popped into Ureshii's head, her hand once again lifting into the air.

"Sir," She said upon being called on. "What if someone happened to _threaten_ another person into not participating?"

Mr. Rin began to laugh nervously as he clenched down on the sheets of paper in his hands. "Then I suppose then they'd have to sit it out." His shoulders popped up and down and sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Ah," Ureshii nodded her head twice. "Thank you, Mr. Rin."

What the heck was _that_ about? Kiyo felt his brow lift in interest. She wasn't planning to…no. She was mean but she was cruel, was she? Gah, it didn't matter…getting back to his studies was most important! Work was a must!

Act End.


	7. Act Seven

The Most Happy

Act Seven

"I can't believe this!"

Kane roared as he threw both arms into the air. His voice echoed through the schoolyard. The group had gotten together at lunch period to discuss the events that happened throughout the day. The news of a school play was huge, and Kiyomaro couldn't resist telling his friends the news about Yamanaka. This did not sit well with Kane however, the boy found himself in a fit of rage.

Kane turned around to face the group and reached out to Yamanaka, taking a hold of his shirt collar. He then began to shake the boy back and forth in a violent manner.

"I didn't know about the play!" Yamanaka whined. "I don't want to have anything to do with this stupid thing!"

"Kane sit down and enjoy your lunch." Suzume smiled at the taller male.

"Relax!" Kiyomaro snapped at the muscular boy. "Yamanaka didn't sign up for the part!"

"Shut your mouth, Takamine!" Kane turned his attention to Kiyomaro. "If I hadn't cut that period I would have gotten the part!" He then released Yamanaka from his grasp. "Then I'd be able to share the stage with Ureshii."

"Are you actually going to do this?" Mariko looked at the jock with curiosity.

"Well, I could use the credit." Yamanaka lifted his hand to his chin.

"You little!" Kane snarled, again reaching out to Yamanaka and grabbing him by his collar.

"Hey."

The group paused. That voice. They turned around to see Ureshii standing behind them. What could she be doing? Perhaps she was spying on the group?

"Nakayama, Yanakama or whatever your name is," She said as she approached the group with a frown on her face. "Mr. Rin told me to give this to you." Ureshii then presented said boy with a slip of paper.

"Ureshii!" Kane exclaimed, dropping Yamanaka from his grip, "How have you been?"

"Been better." Ureshii looked away from Kane, a bright red glow stuck on her face. "Anyway," She growled. "Take a look at the paper."

Yamanaka took the sheet of paper in one hand and let his eyes scan the words printed; he then began to read aloud.

"_To all students participating in the play, Romeo And Juliet, please report to the school theater after school for practice. Every Monday there will be a practice for our school play. Today, there will also be try-outs next Monday for the rest of the Romeo And Juliet cast. Everyone is well come. Thank you, Mr. Rin"_

"So I guess we have to go to the theater after school, right Ureshii?" Yamanaka let out a nervous chuckle.

"Don't call me that," Ureshii snapped at the taller boy.

"Call you what, Ureshii?" Yamanaka asked, tilting his head to one side and quickly changed the subject, "So I guess we have to go to the theater after school, huh Ureshii?" He laughed nervously, as he nervously watched Kane out of the corner of his eye snarl.

"Don't speak to me like that." Ureshii squinted his eyes at the male in an evil glare, enough to scare anyone.

"Wha?" Yamanaka blinked in confusion, "Speak to you like what, Ureshii?"

"Don't play games with me Nakayama," Ureshii shot a glare in Yamanaka's direction. "You don't like you, so you may call me 'Shikimori'."

"It's Yamanaka."

"What?" Ureshii was taken aback for a moment.

"You called me Nakayama, its Yamanaka." Yamanaka lifted one finger into the air as he spoke.

"You're not cute." Ureshii snarled.

"I wasn't trying to be cute." He carried on the conversation with a calm voice.

"Argh!" Ureshii threw both arms into the air. "Whatever!" She shouted before leaving the area and leaving the group to themselves.

"Kiyomaro," Yamanaka looked toward brown-haired boy. "Your girlfriend is nuts."

"She ISN'T my girlfriend!" Kiyomaro shouted, loud enough to cause his other peers to stare his way.

"She BETTER not be!" Kane barked.

"Hey," Suzume smiled at the group. "I think Nakayama fits you better, Yamanaka."

XoXoX

"So where is our Juliet?"

Mr. Rin looked about the school theater, in search for the longhaired female. Ureshii was set to be Juliet and yet she was nowhere to be found. Kiyomaro sat in the audience, one leg crossed over the other. After hearing Mr. Rin call out of Ureshii he too, looked around the room in search for the missing girl. Perhaps she had decided to cut the meeting all together? It wouldn't be unusual or unlikely for the girl to pull such a stunt. He had come along to the practice not for Ureshii but in support of Yamanaka, Kiyomaro knew he'd use all the support he could get.

"I don't know," Yamanaka replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I haven't seen her since lunch period. She probably ran off."

"It's because of you!" Kane stood up from his seat and pointed at Yamanaka.

"Me? What did I do?" Yamanaka cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

Kane then shouted from the back of the theater, "You dirty-"

"I'm here."

The whole auditorium paused. It was Ureshii. Everyone turned to the exit door to see the female standing there with a child at her side. She stepped into the theater the young girl skipping at her side. Kiyomaro was surprised to see Ne with Ureshii, was that the reason for her being late?

"I had to pick up my little sister before coming." Ureshii stepped to the stage with Ne by her side.

"Hello everyone!" Ne bowed before the crowd.

"Ne, quiet." The older partner snapped at the younger female.

"Sorry, Mama." Ne lowered her head.

"_Mama_?" Mariko blinked several times.

"Please Shikimori," Mr. Rin called out to the female from the stage. "Come up here, I have your lines."

"Go sit next to Takamine." Ureshii commanded to the small child.

"Hello Kiyomaro!" Ne squeaked in her high voice with a smile on her face.

"Hey there Ne." He reached over to the child and gave her a few good pats on the head.

"When you get home tell Gash that I said…I said hi!"

Kiyomaro grinned at the female. "Sure."

"Let's get this practice underway," Mr. Rin clapped both hands together. "Now that we have everyone here."

"What kind of supernatural events take place in this story, Mr. Rin?" Iwashima jumped up from the crowd with one finger lifted in the air.

The teacher lifted his hand to his forehead. "There isn't any, Iwashima. This is a romantic play."

"But there _is_ kissing in this story." Mariko let a girlish giggle pass her lips.

"Oh I forgot about that…" Ureshii whispered to herself before turning to Yamanaka's direction. "Ew."

"What?" Yamanaka dropped his script to the floor.

"Didn't anyone read this story?" Mr. Rin scanned the room, looking at each student with surprise. "No one did their homework?"

"No!" Yamanaka shouted as he shook his head back and forth. "I just copied Kiyomaro's work!"

"You also die." Ureshii pointed to Yamanaka.

"I die too?" The jock threw his hands to his head. "Mr. Rin, I can't _die_ on top of _kissing_!"

Mr. Rin shook his head and let out a loud sigh. "We can't just change the story!" He said to the young boy standing in front of him. "That would be going against Shakespeare's work."

Yamanaka removed his hands from his head and placed them on his hips. "Who am I supposed to be kissing anyway?"

"Shikimori, of course." Mr. Rin answered simply.

"WHAT?" He stepped back several inches in shock. "It would be my first kiss!" Yamanaka then pointed his index finger at Ureshii. "Besides she's an OGRE!"

"What?" Ureshii crumbled the script in one hand and glared at her acting partner. "What did you call me?"

"I can't be your Romeo," Yamanaka gave a heavy sigh. "I can't kiss Ureshii."

"Well," Mr. Rin inhaled a deep breath. "If you don't think you can do it then all right. You will be missing out on the extra credit, however."

"Believe me, that's just fine with me!" Yamanaka hopped down from the stage, tossing the script behind him.

"Will you have a problem with the kissing scene, Shikimori?" The teacher turned to his Juliet with a look of concern on his face.

"No, not at all."

"All right then!" Mr. Rin slapped his hands together. "Then who will be my Romeo?"

Kane shot up from his seat, both arms in the air. "OH! Me!" He then began to hop up and down. "Pick me!"

"I think we can manage for a try-out." A large smile spread across Mr. Rin's face.

"Hehe!" Suzume covered her mouth with her delicate fingers. "This play is going to be wonderful!"

Mr. Rin stepped across stage and spoke, "Try-outs will begin next Monday." He turned to a very unimpressed Ureshii. "Until then, practice your lines and be ready for your Romeo next Monday."

Ureshii pouted her lower lip and grunted. "Whatever."

Kiyomaro felt very comfortable in his seat. At least he wasn't caught up in this play. The stress of a school event was the last thing on his mind. He had more important things to keep in check. He and Gash needed to keep their strengths up to be ready for any obstacle in their way. There was no way of predicting when the next attack would come.

Ureshii Shikimori was another story, was she a threat? He couldn't tell. When he first laid eyes on the older female, she seemed the typical threat but now that he was aiding her in her mission was she friend? That was another thing, Kiyomaro had yet to inform her of his help, perhaps he'd actually see a grateful Ureshii when he finally told her. For now he could only guess.

XoXoX

Wednesday

Another warm afternoon threatened Kiyomaro with second lazy day in a row. Ugh, he hated the heat, anything to escape it was positive. Although in previous day he had made a huge milestone, he had told Ureshii about Gash's plan to help her and Ne out. She was unimpressed with the offer and gave Kiyomaro a rude smart-aleck remark as a reply. Kiyomaro was appalled by her reaction and yet it was not surprising. He was finding it familiar for Ureshii to act the way she did. Was he getting used to her?

As Kiyomaro walked home, he thought to himself: _why did Ureshii have to be so stubborn?_

It was then his eyes caught the image of Ureshii walking ahead of him, maybe twenty or so feet away. Kiyomaro's first reaction was to rush to her and stop her but something held him back. A strange sensation in his gut, was he nervous? No, of course not! He just didn't not want an earful of shouting or nagging. Just as the thought ran through his head, a friendly hand landed on his shoulder. Kiyomaro turned to look over his shoulder to see Yamanaka standing behind him.

"Hey!" He said with a smile. "What are you doing walking by yourself? Isn't that Ureshii over there?" Yamanaka pointed the female out with his index finger.

"Uh," Kiyomaro reached around and scratched the back of his head. "She looks angry today."

"Kiyomaro," Yamanaka removed his hand from the boy's shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. "Doesn't she _always_ look mad? I'm pretty sure her face is stuck that way."

"Yeah…" Kiyomaro mumbled, his mind traveling a million miles a second.

"Hey," The taller male poked Kiyomaro in his gut. "I have to turn now," He replied, jerking his head across the street.

"What?" He gave Yamanaka a blank stare. "Oh right. I'll see you tomorrow." He lifted a single hand in the air, bidding the jock good bye.

"See ya," Yamanaka began to turn away from him only to pause and look over his shoulder. "Oh and Kiyomaro," He said. "Just talk to her."

Kiyomaro's face flashed a bright vision of red. What was _that_ supposed to mean? All of his muscles tightened as his friend's voice repeated in his head. Talk to Ureshii? What about? There was nothing he needed to talk to her about! Kiyomaro shook his head from right to left. He then paused for a moment, was there something he should talk to her about? Kiyomaro turned to look in front of him to see Ureshii stepping out of sight. Maybe there _was_ something he could say to her. Just to be nice, that is.

Kiyomaro pushed his body forward and began in an effort to catch up with Ureshii. He gasped and smiled when he saw that he was beginning to catch up with the older girl. The jog appeared and felt longer than it should have. Perhaps it was the fact that Kiyomaro didn't really _want_ to speak with her. In any event, he was now standing beside her, best to say something to her before she got angry.

"Ureshii," He spoke to the female after finally catching up to her.

Ureshii continued to walk along, unfazed by Kiyomaro. He narrowed his eyes at the female, was she giving him the 'silent treatment'? What could he have done to her to deserve that? He could feel the nagging coming on all ready and he let out a loud sigh.

"Ureshii!" Kiyomaro waved his arms in front of the female's face, trying his best to get her attention.

"What do you want, Takamine?" Ureshii asked, her eyes still on the road ahead of her.

"Nothing," Kiyomaro lowered his hands to his sides. "I just wanted…"

"Wanted what?" Ureshii finally turned to the boy her usual glare equipped.

"Never mind." He grunted.

Ureshii shrugged her left shoulder and returned her attention to the street ahead of her. Kiyomaro had to groan, again with the awkward silence? He despised the awkward silences he shared with his difficult classmate. They appeared so often and left him speechless. There was nothing he could say to entertain her for long so Kiyomaro often stayed silent. Ureshii always seemed bothered when anyone spoke to her, so why speak to her? It kept her in a mild mood to stay quiet, why bother the sleeping beast?

The further the couple walked the more awkward he felt. It wasn't until Ureshii's footsteps came to a complete halt did Kiyomaro have something to say to her.

"Why did you stop?" He asked.

"I have to make a stop here," Ureshii made a sharp right turn into a small drugstore. "Thirsty?"

"A little, why?" He asked feeling curious.

She refused to answer and stepped into the store's entrance doors. Kiyomaro felt his cheeks puff up with air. What was her problem now? It wouldn't be outrageous for Ureshii to return with a bottle of water and drink it right in front of him, in an effort to tease him. Kiyomaro folded his arms over his chest and turned his back to the drugstore doors.

Why would he even wait for a person so rude? Kiyomaro looked ahead and wondered why _was_ he waiting? He had his best chance to ditch Ureshii right here, right now. So why wasn't he taking it? He had to sigh, why was he so nice? It was Gash's influence. Gash had taught him how to be kind to a person and perhaps, that was what he wanted to teach to Ureshii.

_Just until she finds friends of her own_.

A few uneventful minutes passed before Ureshii retuned from the store, a brown bag in her left hand and a yellow sheet of paper in her right. Her eyes were glued to the yellow flyer and darted back and forth as she read it. She then looked back up at him.

"What is it?" Kiyomaro asked.

Ureshii stepped toward the boy and opened up the brown hand. Juggling the sheet in her right hand, she managed to pull out a bottle of soda from the bag. She then extended the soda toward him. He looked the carbonated drink with surprise. Ureshii-the-grump had actually bought _him_ a drink? Kiyomaro lifted his hand and took the bottle from the girl's pale hands. What was with the sudden act of kindness? He narrowed his eyes at the soda bottle. He looked to see the cap was still tightly sealed. There was no way she could have put something in his drink to spite him.

"What's this for?" Kiyomaro asked with suspicion.

"You were complaining that you were thirsty." Ureshii snatched her arm back before shooting a glare at him.

"Hey! I wasn't complaining!" Kiyomaro snapped at the longhaired female. "But you didn't have to-"

"Just shut up," Ureshii lifted her hand to Kiyomaro to silence him. "And drink it, Takamine."

Kiyomaro grunted, how he despised being ordered around by _her_. What was she, his mother? But he had no room to shout at her, she had just bought him something to quench his thirst. He looked at the bottle, turning it around to read the label. To his surprise the name of his favorite soda stretched across the bottle. A strange sensation washed over his whole body. She knew what kind of drink he liked?

"You got my favorite, how did you know?" Kiyomaro squinted his eyes at the older girl.

"So what?" Ureshii shrugged her slender shoulders. "I know what you like to drink. Get over yourself."

"You don't _watch_ me at lunch do you?" Kiyomaro crossed his arms and leaned in toward the female.

"Just shut up and look at this." Ureshii shoved Kiyomaro back and stuffed the yellow sheet of paper into his chest. "It's for a fair."

"Oh?" Kiyomaro took the flyer from Ureshii's hands and began to read over it. "It's near by too." He stated with an intrigued tone.

"We should go."

The words hit Kiyomaro like a brick.

"_We should go."_

The simple three words played in his mind over and over. Kiyomaro looked up at Ureshii with an open mouth. He felt his whole body become numb and his face grow hot. What was she asking him? Was this an offer for a date? Kiyomaro could stop the red glow from illuminating from his cheeks. This was impossible; there was no way that Ureshii-the-ogre could be asking _him_ out on a date. It was wrong in all ways and caused him to feel sick. What was he supposed to say? Yes or no? Would his honest answer anger her or would his lie sooth her?

"W-w-what?" Kiyomaro finally mustered up the energy to speak.

"We should go," She repeated herself and gave him a serious stare. "There might be a chance the other five demons Ne and I are looking for might be there."

"OH!" Kiyomaro let out a huge sigh of relief before he slouched over, sweat pouring down his temples.

"We might miss a good lead if we don't." Ureshii cuffed her chin with her left hand. "You didn't take that personally, _did _you?" She shot him a death-stare.

Kiyomaro threw his free hand into the air and shook his head back and forth. "NO! Not at all!" He began to let out nervous laugh in attempt to deflect any lasting impression.

"It would be a good idea to get Gash and Ne." Ureshii turned her back to him. "I'll meet you there in an hour."

"Sounds fine." He agreed.

Kiyomaro watched as the female sprint off in the direction of her apartment complex. After seeing her image vanish from sight, he let out another sigh. What was he getting himself into? Kiyomaro took his left hand and slapped it against his cheek. This was too much stress for him; he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Ureshii was just too unpredictable for him. Her every action was new and came as a shock to him.

_Just until she has friends of her own_

He just needed to remind himself of that, it was only _until_.

Act End.


	8. Act Eight

The Most Happy

Act Eight

Ureshii's fuse was short and as she stood in front of the fairground gates she felt it growing shorter. Why did Takamine insist on pushing her to her limits? It was always one thing or another with the boy. He was always late when needed, early when he uninvited. It was as if he did this to purposely push her buttons, but why? Ureshii stood with Ne, one hand to her hip. Where was he? Her head darted left then right in search of the boy and his demon. What could take a man so long? She lifted her right wrist to and took a peek at her watch. He was more than fashionably late now.

"What's taking them so long?" Ne looked up to Ureshii with wide eyes.

"I have no idea," Ureshii grunted, lowering her arm to her side. "But it's pissing me off."

"I wanna ride something." Ne bit down on her lower lip and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're not here to play." The older woman reminded the smaller girl with a hiss. "We're here on a mission."

"But-"

"NE!"

The two girls' head perked to the sound of a small high-pitched voice. They both turned about at the same time to see two familiar boys coming their way. Ureshii felt her anger sooth after finally seeing Kiyomaro; at least she knew he wasn't going to stand her up. Gash was the first of the two to step up to the girls, a smile spread wide on his face. Takamine trailed a few moments later, feeling a bit out of breath from the run over.

"Hey there, Ne!" Gash reached out to Ne and took her by the hand. "How have you been?"

"Good!" Ne chirped.

"Sorry for being late," Takamine finally attached himself to the group, his chest beating up and down from the sprint.

"Let's just pay and get searching." The taller student turned her back to the three and began to walk toward the fair entrance.

"No!" Her classmate reached forward and grabbed her by the shoulder. "I'll pay." He said.

What the hell was this? Was Takamine actually _paying _for her ticket? Did this have something to do with the times she paid for him? Ha, what a pitiful attempt at being a gentlemen. Ah well, if he wanted to waste his cash, she wasn't going to stop him.

"Whatever," She shoved his hand off her shoulder and stomped away from the boy and his demon.

"It's a good thing your Mom gave you some money before you left, huh Kiyomaro?" Gash's words entered her ears before Takamine had a moment to hush at him.

"Yeah."

The boy prodigy stood at the booth and handed over the due amount. Four park tickets popped out of a small register and into the worker's hands. The female employee handed over the four tickets with a smile and waved the group off. She stepped over to Takamine and snatched two tickets from his hands. He grunted with frustration and handed Gash a single ticket. Ureshii broke her two tickets into separate parts and handed Ne a ticket as well. The four then walked over to the ticket booth and each handed off their own tickets, allowing them entrance into the park.

Gash and Ne's eyes opened wide with wonder, no doubt they'd had never seen such a sight in their lives. Lights, sounds, smells filled their senses. To the left was the food court and to the right lay the rights and games. The sweet smell of cotton candy filled their tiny nostrils and yet the chiming sound of the games made their hands twitch with excitement. The two demons ran in front of their masters and shifted their heads left and right.

"Takamine," Ureshii peered over her shoulder to look at the boy. "We have company." She sneered.

"Huh?" Kiyomaro blinked in confusion.

It was about _time _someone noticed. How long had those losers been behind them? Ugh, like she needed an audience. As if on cue, Takamine looked up and down, left and right but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He then turned around. It was there he saw a large bush bobbing about.

The bush twitched and flinched in strange movements. She watched as her younger classmate's eyes narrowed, trying to get a clearer image of the bush only to see four familiar heads peering out from the top of the bush. She knew their names, even if she denied it out loud. Damn Suzume and her group of idiots.

"Takamine," Ureshii spoke in a light whisper. "They can follow us if they want, but if they get in my way there will be trouble."

Kiyomaro sighed before shouting, "Suzume, Yamanaka, Mariko, Kane! Get out of that bush!"

The movement in the bush came to a complete halt. The gig was obviously up. Four bodies fell out from around the bush. The four students lowered their heads and marched out to face Takamine. They lined up beside one another, feeling silly for their actions.

"Hello Kiyomaro." They all said at once.

A droplet of sweat dripped down his face. "Hey." He said with one hand lifted.

"I'm going now," Ureshii stuck her nose up into the air and began to walk away from the group.

"But Mama," Ne reached forward to Ureshii and began to tug on her jeans. "There's no guarantee that they'll be here, so why not-"

"No." She pushed forward, ignoring Ne's words. "I have a mission to do."

"Ureshii," Takamine appeared at her side and grabbed her by one hand. "Maybe Ne has a point."

"Just relax and have fun with us, Ureshii!" Gash's wide smile caused her to look back at the blond demon.

Ureshii paused for a moment. She looked at Gash's smile and thought to herself. Fun? She hissed to herself and tore her hand away from Takamine's grasp. There was no time for fun. She could feel the eyes of her fellow classmates resting on her and suddenly she felt pressured. Was this peer pressure? Ureshii's cheek twitched; there was no way she was going to give in.

"This maybe fun to you, but I have a mission to complete." She repeated herself and looked forward.

Gash rushed toward the taller female and tugged on her dangling hand. "At least ride the Ferris Wheel, Ureshii." He gripped down on her cold hand and presented his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Ferris Wheel?" Ureshii lowered her eyebrows and thought for a moment. "All right." She then looked back down at Gash.

"Really?" Gash's mouth fell open with shock.

"Hey!" Ureshii called to the group behind her. "Ne and I are going on the Ferris Wheel."

"That's a great idea!" Kane dashed to Ureshii's side and took a hold of her arm. "Let's go together!"

"No!" Ne ripped Kane's arm away from Ureshii's and let out a loud hiss. "I'm going with mama!"

Kane laughed nervously and lifted both hands up in a defense manner. "All right, all right!"

"Gash, do you want to ride too?" Takamine looked down to his partner.

"Yeah!" Gash gave Kiyomaro a firm nod of his head.

He lifted his balled fist up and smiled. "Then let's get going."

XoXoX

"WOW! WE'RE UP SOOOO HIGH!"

It was if someone literally plucked Kiyomaro up from the ground by his shirt collar. His short brown hair danced in the warm wind. The gusts passed through him as if he were invisible. Now, he wasn't sure if this right was appropriate for him. The idea of being up so high _sounded_ appealing at first notice but now that he was experiencing it, he was having second thoughts. Gash however was having the time of his life and stood up in his seat, letting the raging wind hit him in the face.

"GASH, SIT DOWN!" Kiyomaro shouted before grabbing a hold of Gash by the shoulders and shoving him back down into his seat.

Gash let out a giggle and looked turned his head to look at the circling seats behind him. Suzume and Kane were first behind him then it was Mariko and Yamanaka. Ureshii and Ne had the seat furthest ahead.

"I can see Ne from back here!" Gash announced with glee.

After a few minutes of elevation the whole Ferris Wheel came to a complete halt. Ureshii and Ne's carriage sat at the top of the Wheel while Kiyomaro's sat second in line. An eerie silence fell over the couples seated in the carriages. The height they sat at was amazing; the whole fair was visible from the angle they were all at.

"I hope she's having fun…for once." Kiyomaro grunted to himself as he stared at Ureshii and Ne's carriage.

A strange feeling washed over Kiyomaro, something was wrong. He couldn't help but keep his eyes glued to girl's carriage. A twist of his gut told him that something big was about to happen. He was dying to blink but he couldn't bring himself to turn away even for a second. He watched as Ureshii stood up from her seat. She stood in her carriage and turned to the side. The wind picked up and caused Ureshii's hair to dance wildly in the wind.

"What is she…doing?" Kiyomaro said aloud, causing Gash to watch the girl's actions as well.

Without a second moment passing, Ureshii leaped from her carriage. The stunt caused everyone within distance to let out a scream of shock. Kiyomaro leaned toward the side of his carriage and opened his mouth as wide as it could go. What was she doing? This was crazy! He couldn't help but let out a loud gasp, what could push Ureshii into doing something so crazy?

"URESHII!" Kiyomaro shouted, his voice being carried off in the wind.

"What is she doing?" Gash threw his hands over his mouth in shock.

"_WINGUTSU_!" Her words carried through the wind and hit his ears.

A sudden bright white light broke out from Ne's car on the Ferris wheel. The light caused those who looked at it to become blinded. The flash dimmed just as quickly as it appeared. A light flapping sound echoed through the air. Kiyomaro rubbed his eyes before reopening them to see what had happened. A large white pair of wings spread open in Ne's carriage. A tiny body fell from the carriage and the white wings flapped open catching her.

Ne had wings, Ne was flying! The demon child swooped downward and picked Ureshii up. The two then flew off into the distance, leaving the duo's sight. He had put two and two together quickly; this was a spell, one of Ne's spells.

The boys exited the ride as soon as they could. The sprinted off in the direction that Ne had flown off to. A near by forest covered the end of the fairgrounds, that is where they had to have gone. Kiyomaro pushed forward, sprinting as fast as he could. He needed to reach Ureshii and Ne. Something had happened to them where they had to make a hasty retreat.

"I think landed in that forest!" Kiyomaro called out to his partner.

The two pushed by other fair-goers and pressed their bodies further. Gash was falling behind, causing Kiyomaro to pause and turn around to face him. He reached to Gash and grabbed him by one hand. Tugging him along, Kiyomaro began his sprint again. What was wrong with Ureshii? Pulling a stunt like this? Was she crazy or just attention-deprived? Finally the two boys reached the end of the fair. The forest lay just behind the wired fence.

Kiyomaro leaped over the fence, pulling Gash along as he did so. The boy let out a yip as his knees hit the dirt below. Kiyomaro aided the blonde to his feet and looked forward. Now it was just a manner of finding the girls.

Kiyomaro shoved the brush aside in his pursuit. His feet dug through the dirt, he could feel his body beginning to grow tired. He wasn't sure if Gash was keeping up with him or not but he couldn't waste any time. He had to make sure Ureshii and Ne were safe. Finally Kiyomaro heard a sound, it was a female voice, it was Ureshii!

He gave his body one final push and he stumbled upon an open area. In the center of the clearing stood Ureshii and Ne. The two girls had a hard look on their faces and stood silent. Kiyomaro rushed at Ureshii and grabbed her by her shoulders.

"What happened?" He huffed, nearly out of breath.

"Get off me!" Ureshii snapped and shoved his hands off her shoulders.

"What makes you think you can just do stuff like that?" Kiyomaro barked.

Just then Gash tumbled out of the brush and into the clearing. After finally catching up with Kiyomaro, he jumped to his feet and looked to see the two girls standing above him. Gash ran over to a teary-eyed Ne and grabbed her hand.

"Are you all right?" He gasped for air between words.

Ne shook her head from side to side and remained silent. Gash narrowed his stare and gripped her tiny hands. Something hand happened. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around the girl. Ne let a whimper pass her lips before a stream of tears leaked down her face. Upon hearing her sobs, Gash hugged the female tighter in an attempt to sooth her.

"What happened?" Kiyomaro looked at Ureshii.

"It's none of your business." Ureshii snapped at the boy. "Ne!" She shouted, causing her partner to flinch. "Come."

Ne released her grasp from Gash and looked over to her older partner. She obeyed her order and stood beside Ureshii. She closed her eyes then placed one hand on Ne's head.

"It's always 'none of my business'!" Kiyomaro stomped his foot in the dirt. "How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me anything?"

"Later," She glanced up at the Kiyomaro. "We need to get back to the group before they get suspicious."

Kiyomaro had to agree with Ureshii on that matter. "Fine. But you have to tell me what happened or else we can't help you."

Ureshii nodded her head slowly. "All right."

Kiyomaro felt himself sigh at least this was a sign that something was being accomplished. He looked down at Ne with concern in his eyes. What had happened to this girl? Something drastic must have taken place. Whatever it was, Kiyomaro was determined to know what.

Act End.


	9. Act Nine

The Most Happy

Act Nine

Monday

The start of every week. This meant that the day would be long and tiring. Was it just Kiyomaro's imagination or did Monday feel longer than any other day? Monday was dreadful. The only person Kiyomaro could relate with on the subject of school was Ureshii. She loathed school as much or even more then he did. Perhaps it was because he had someone that could relate with him that he found Mondays less tiring with Ureshii around. The first period of the day wasn't so lonely anymore.

Although on this morning, Ureshii Shikimori was nowhere to be seen. Sitting in his seat, Kiyomaro scanned the room in search of the female. Strange, the morning bell had all ready rung and yet she absent. Perhaps she had skipped school? Kiyomaro was sure that Ureshii was out of her faze of skipping school on a count of her being present everyday the previous week. In fact, she had made a serious effort of joining Kiyomaro and his group at lunch period. Was she warming up to the group? Somewhere inside, he sure hoped so.

"All right class," Mr. Rin spoke over the group of teens. "Today-"

The door slammed open, causing the whole classroom to react with their eyes. They looked forward to see a very late Ureshii. She stood in the doorway of the classroom, her chest puffing up and down in a pant. Kiyomaro's eyes darted up and down her body to see that she was actually wearing the school uniform. A wide smile spread across his face as he stared at the female, she was making an effort to better her school life.

"_I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing. It's hideous."_

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Rin!" She huffed before stepping deeper into the classroom.

"Glad to see you, Shikimori. Take your seat please." The teacher spoke out once again, directing Ureshii to her seat.

Obeying her command, Ureshii walked over to seat and began to sit.

"Oh Shikimori, not that seat." Mr. Rin said to the female.

Ureshii rose a brow in confusion and stood up straight. She listened with open ears as her teacher told her to take a seat at the back of the classroom. Kiyomaro watched Ureshii like a hawk as she stepped over to her newly assigned seat. She plopped down into her seat and gave her teacher a strange stare. What was going on here?

"Class," Mr. Rin said adjusting the pair of glasses on the brim of his nose. "Today we have a transfer from another school." The class muttered amongst each other as Mr. Rin continued. "I hope you won't mind an extra student in our classroom."

Kiyomaro turned to look over his shoulder. He watched as Ureshii narrowed her eyes at their teacher. He couldn't help but miss the girl with the long hair sitting in front of him. He felt a sigh come on as he turned back around to face Mr. Rin. Just when he was getting used to Ureshii, Mr. Rin removed her from her seat. Kiyomaro rested his chin on his hand and thought to himself. This wouldn't hurt his chances becoming her friend, would it?

"He should be here shortly," Mr. Rin turned his back to the class and faced the chalkboard. "But until he shows up, let's continue with our lesson plan, shall we?" He lifted a small piece of chalk to the board and began to write.

XoXoX

"Kiyomaro!"

Kiyomaro jumped to the sound of Yamanaka's voice. Second period had just ended, giving the boy a five-minute break before his third period, a five-minute break to socialize. He watched as his friend approached him. Yamanaka panted for more air as he stood in front of him.

"Yamanaka?" Kiyomaro blinked a few times in confusion. "What is it?"

"Have you seen Suzume this morning?" Yamanaka asked as he caught his breath. "She wasn't in first period. I was worried that she might be sick."

Kiyomaro lifted his index finger to his lower lip and thought for a moment. He _hadn't _seen Suzume that morning. As Kiyomaro stood in the crowded hallway with Yamanaka, Mariko and Kane approached them. Seeing the two boys standing in the hall with blank expressions on their faces was a cause for worry. Mariko stepped up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"Have you seen Suzume this morning?" Kiyomaro turned to face her.

"Hm," Mariko paused for a moment before answering. "No, actually I haven't."

"Do you know if she's sick?" Yamanaka asked the blonde female.

"No." She shook her head.

"That's strange," Kiyomaro bit down on his lower lip and mumbled. "She's usually always present."

The group waited for a moment and thought to themselves. Suzume wasn't one to miss out on school. Her grades wouldn't tolerate being absent. This worried him; it wasn't like Suzume to miss school all together. Just as the three students stood together and thought a fourth body approached the group.

"Hey guys."

The three turned about to react to the voice to see Suzume standing beside them. They backed away in shock for a moment. She had snuck up on them and given them a pleasant surprise. Kiyomaro reached forward and grabbed Suzume by her slender shoulders. He then lifted his right hand and brushed her bangs to one side and felt her forehead. She didn't have a fever, much to Kiyomaro's beliefs. She wasn't sick.

"Where have you been?" Kiyomaro looked Suzume straight in the eye, causing the shorter female to blush. "We were worried you were sick!"

"Oh no!" Suzume closed her eyes and hummed.

He pulled away from Suzume and removed his hand from her forehead. Thank goodness she wasn't ill. He let a sigh of relief pass his lips. Kiyomaro then looked passed Suzume's shoulders to see a tall blonde male standing just behind her. He lifted a brow in confusion and watched the boy approach the group with a goofy grin.

"Who's that?" Mariko leaned in to Yamanaka and whispered.

"I don't know, I've never seen him before." Yamanaka replied in a soft voice.

"He's not wearing the school uniform," She whispered again to Yamanaka. "He must be new."

As the strange male approached, Suzume stepped to one side. A cute smile crossed her cheeks as she allowed the boy to enter the circle. "This is Nomad Welsh." She said to the three teens. "He just transferred from a different school."

"Oh," Kiyomaro lifted one finger into the air. "You were you supposed to be in my first period this morning."

"Yo!" The male lifted his left hand to wave at the group.

The group gave the blonde boy a strange look. They had never seen such a strange-looking male in their lives. Nomad had blonde hair that stood straight up from his scalp and strange baggy clothing. He wore a set of visors, one that laid backwards and one that he wore correctly. A pair of orange-tinted sunglasses rested on his nose and created an awful glare.

"Why is he wearing sunglasses inside?" Mariko lifted her hand to her mouth and whispered to Yamanaka's ear.

Yamanaka gave Mariko a quick shrug of his shoulders. "Where did you pick up this nut?" He said in a blunt tone.

"Chill, guy." Nomad lifted both hands in defense.

"I found him this morning!" Suzume smiled. "He was lost on campus and I wanted to help him get to class but…" She closed her eyes and squeaked, "I got lost too."

"This campus is mad huge!" Nomad threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Okay," Kiyomaro lifted his to fingers to the top of his nose and began to rub his sinuses. "This is going to take time to get used to."

"What's going to take time, Takamine?"

He flinched to the call of his name and glanced over his shoulder to see Ureshii standing behind him. A small smirk spread over his cheeks, seeing her standing in front of everyone in the uniform she once called ugly. Eh, she was getting soft on him. "Hey."

"Hm." Ureshii snorted, placing her hands to her hips.

"You're…" Yamanaka stumbled on his words as he looked up and down Ureshii's body. "You're wearing the school uniform!"

"YEAH?" Ureshii repeated herself before sticking her nose in the air.

She opened her mouth to speak once more until her eyes landed on Nomad. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. She then began to take a few steps backwards. She threw her hands up in front of her face and stutter.

"Yo!" Nomad looked at the female with a wink.

"Y-y-you!" Ureshii managed to spit out the word before her hands began to shake.

"Ureshii?" Kiyomaro stepped closer to the shocked girl and offered his hand out to her.

"I-I have to go!" Ureshii swirled around and took off down the hallway, pushing passed anyone who stood in her way.

"What was _that_ about?" Yamanaka snorted.

"I hope she's all right," Suzume whimpered under her breath.

Mariko nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she looked a little pale."

Kiyomaro lifted his hand to the side of his head and began to starch with his index finger. "Ureshii…?"

XoXoX

"Are you sick?"

Kiyomaro spoke into the phone, as he laid backward on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling as he waited for Ureshii's answer. After their brief encounter earlier that day, he hadn't seen or heard from Ureshii. The fear that she might have gotten ill stayed fresh in his mind. That was the last thing he wanted, for one of his friends to become ill.

Wait a moment; was he considering Ureshii one of his friends? Kiyomaro inhaled a deep breath of air before thinking it over. Ureshii a friend? Strange how that didn't sound well together. Another reason to phone Ureshii was to see if she would be able to make it to school the next day. The audition had been postponed due to the fact that she had left school early and it was Kiyomaro's job to make sure she was going to be there the next day.

"_Yeah,"_ Ureshii replied. _"But I'm feeling better now."_

"Ah good," Kiyomaro let out a sigh of relief. "Mr. Rin wanted to know if you were going to show up for tomorrow's audition."

"_Yeah, yeah I'll be there."_ Ureshii grunted in a low tone.

"I noticed you wore your uniform today." Kiyomaro smiled as he spoke on the phone.

"_Big deal."_ Ureshii's voice became low. _"It's nothing to excited over, Takamine."_

"Ureshii?" Kiyomaro traced his finger up the side of the phone.

"_What?"_ She snapped.

"Is something the matter? After that Nomad guy showed up, you started acting strange."

"_Don't be stupid!"_ Ureshii took in a deep breath before continuing her rant._ "It's nothing you have to worry about, Takamine. Why don't you mind your own business?"_

"That's another thing," Kiyomaro's voice began stern as he spoke. "What happened with Ne last week? You _still_ haven't told me."

"_If you're so insistent on knowing why don't you come over tomorrow after school?"_ Ureshii's voice seemed to calm after answering Kiyomaro's question. _"You're real noisy, you know that?"_

"Yeah I know."

"_Fine, then it's settled."_ Ureshii sighed into her end of the line. _"Bye."_

_Click_

Kiyomaro flinched as the click vibrated in his ear. Now what did he do wrong? There was always one reason or another for Ureshii to be angry. It was as if she thrived on anger. Anything that caused pain or frustration was what she lived on. Kiyomaro hit the power button on his phone before releasing the phone from his grasp. Was there even a point in calling her? All she ever did was shout at him! He felt lost as his eyes fixated on the ceiling above him. What was he doing wrong? Why wasn't Ureshii finding her own friends? She was so antisocial; would she ever have friends to call her own?

Act End.


	10. Act Ten

The Most Happy

Act Ten

Tuesday

She had skipped class again. Kiyomaro groaned to himself. Why did she have to lie to him? He stomped his way down the hall, passing by his peers as they left for the school day. It was time for the audition, whether Ureshii was there or not. He didn't think it was very kind of her to stand him up the way she had. Now he was the one with egg on his face. He had told Mr. Rin earlier that day that Ureshii would be at school. Now he could feel the pain of embarrassment flush throughout his body. Why did she have to do things like this?

The day couldn't get any worse. The morning had all ready gone terribly, with the arrival of Nomad Welsh in their class. Kiyomaro had the pleasure of sitting behind the blond and he had first listen of _every_ crazy story he had to tell. Nomad had many tales of this and that, nothing of real interest or moral. He was also very disruptive and often had a way of tapping his pencil on his desk to the beat in his mind. If the work was hard for Kiyomaro, he might consider changing seats. Without a good excuse to move, he knew the change wouldn't be accepted by his teacher, Mr. Rin. At least when Ureshii sat in front of him she was silent. She said nothing and hardly moved. He would give anything to have Ureshii-the-ogre sitting in front of him.

Kiyomaro made a tight turn down the hallway until he found himself in front of the theater room doors. He hesitated for a moment, why was he even coming? That's right; Mr. Rin had asked him to be there. He grunted before pushing open the large doors and stepping in. Kiyomaro's footsteps echoed through the large room as he stepped deeper inside. On stage stood Kane and Mr. Rin. Kane held a large script in hand and Mr. Rin watched as the taller boy danced around in front of him, speaking the words of Shakespeare.

"**Bid a sick man in sadness make his will! Ah word ill urged to one that is so ill. In sadness cousins, I do love a woman."** He read aloud, one hand slapped on his muscular chest.

Kiyomaro spotted Suzume, Mariko and Yamanaka seated in the audience, watching Kane with wide eyes. He stepped as quietly as he could over to the row they were seated in. He took his seat beside Suzume and smiled at the brunette. It was obvious that the group had gotten together to support Kane. Kiyomaro had to assume that their teacher had asked the group to attend the practice as well.

"Very good, Kane!" Mr. Rin clapped both hands together. "Yamanaka, could you come up to the stage please?"

Yamanaka paused for a moment, surprised by his teacher's request. The jock then rose from his seat and stepped to the stage. Mr. Rin approached the jock and handed him a script. Mr. Rin used his index finger to point out a few highlighted lines.

"Read this for me, will you?"

"Sure," Yamanaka took the thick script in hand and began to read aloud, **"I aimed so near, when I supposed you loved."**

"Excellent!" He exclaimed. "I think we've found our Benvolio! How does that sound to you Yamanaka?"

Yamanaka hesitated, a part in the play? Wasn't it a week ago that he had refused the role of Romeo? The tall baseball player narrowed his eyes at his teacher and shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what to say.

"Because you wanted the extra credit," Mr. Rin began to explain. "I thought you might enjoy a different part in the play. A part that doesn't require kissing."

"Oh, I get it!" Yamanaka's frown turned into a grin. "That sounds great! That means I get the extra credit without kissing an ogre?"

Mr. Rin paused, sweat dripped off his forehead. "Yes…"

"What about the part of Romeo?" Kane clenched his fists with excitement.

"Well," Mr. Rin looked to the audience, his eyes darting back and forth until they landed on Kiyomaro. "Takamine!" He said beckoning him with a wave. "Come up here and read this for me!"

Kiyomaro turned to Suzume and shrugged his shoulders. Now what? The genius grunted and groaned before lifting himself up from his seat. He then took lazy steps up the stage. Before he could get to his teacher, Mr. Rin took the script from Yamanaka's hands. He then approached Kiyomaro and pointed out a few lines for him to read.

"**Bid a sick man in sadness make his will! Ah word ill urged to one that is so ill. In sadness cousins, I do love a woman." **

Mr. Rin took the script from Kiyomaro and approached Yamanaka, his lines were next, **"I aimed so near, when I supposed you loved."**

"**A right good mark-man. And she's fair I love."** Kiyomaro read aloud after being handed the script for the second time.

A giant smile spread from ear to ear on Mr. Rin's face, something had come over him. The teacher walked toward Kane and removed the thick stack of papers from his hands. He then walked over to Kiyomaro and shoved the script into his hands. The boy jolted upward from shock and took the script into his arms.

"I have news for you all," Mr. Rin said, the grin still lasting on his face. "I believe I have made up my mind!" He then wrapped one arm around Kiyomaro. "Kane," He began.

"YES!" Kane shoved his balled fist into the air.

"I think it would be best if you played Tybalt." Mr. Rin continued. "For my Romeo, I have chosen," The room became very still. "Takamine!"

"_WHAT_?" Kane shouted, throwing both hands on his face.

Kiyomaro's world came to a complete halt. Him? Kiyomaro Takamine as Romeo in the school play? No, it was impossible! He felt his body become numb with horror. Did this mean he would have to _kiss_ Ureshii? He couldn't do that! It was wrong, immoral, disgusting! His face became pale and he suddenly felt the urge to use the restroom. How could this have happened?

"You were quite dramatic in your reading, Kane." Mr. Rin said, his grip tightening on Kiyomaro's shoulder. "So I figured Tybalt would be best of you."

"This is impossible!" Kiyomaro felt his hand slap his cheek. "Mr. Rin, I'm going to need time to think this over!"

"What?" Mr. Rin blinked several times before looking down to his student.

"Yes," Kiyomaro coughed to clear his throat. "I don't know if I'll be able to do this."

"Kiyomaro!" Suzume called out from her seat. "I think it'll be good for you! You'll be an excellent Romeo!"

"Suzume," Mariko whispered under her breath, "You know Kiyomaro will be kissing Shikimori, right?"

"_WHAT_?" Suzume shrieked.

"Then you can have a few days to think it over, Takamine." Mr. Rin removed his hands from his shoulders.

Kiyomaro felt his chest sink as he exhaled. "Thank you, Mr. Rin."

This was something he was going to _have_ to think over. Performing on stage as the one and only Romeo? Could things get any stranger? Kiyomaro could almost taste the vomit in the back of his throat. What would cause his teacher, Mr. Rin to think _he_ was the best choice for Romeo? There was no way he could do this; there was no way he could lose his first kiss to Ureshii Shikimori. On stage in front of everyone, in front of his own mother, there was no way he could do this.

Battle after battle had proven to Kiyomaro that he could do most anything but this…. this was different. Romance was a subject he failed utterly and completely. In fact he was sure he couldn't even _spell_ romance, let alone perform it. This was something he was going to think long and hard about.

XoXoX

"_Takamine, be sure to bring Gash with you. Ne wants to…play…"_

The words didn't seem to fade from Kiyomaro's memory. Ureshii had given him specific instructions to come over after school and talk. They would speak about what happened the other day at the fair. It was crucial that they discuss this, if they were to become a team and work together. Kiyomaro had to know what was happening with Ne and her missing companions otherwise he wouldn't be much help. Of course he would bring his partner along; it was only natural for the teen genius. It was now that Kiyomaro noted to himself that Gash was now following him around most everywhere he went. Was this something he could get used to?

As Kiyomaro stepped down the street in silence, they were nearing Ureshii's small apartment. It wouldn't be long until he met Ureshii face-to-face and discussed the incident that had passed. Why was the sudden emotion of nervousness entering his body? He couldn't understand why he would be nervous, after all this was Ureshii. Perhaps it was because of her unpredictable personality or maybe it was the rude manner in which she spoke. Either way, it was a meeting He was not looking forward to.

Kiyomaro shut his eyes for a moment and by the time he reopened them he saw Ureshii's door before him. Had he really made it to the apartment complex all ready? The trip to the grump's home became shorter and shorter over time, was that a good or bad sign?

He lifted his hand to knock on the Ureshii's front door only to have the door swing open before him. Looking on with wide eyes, the young male saw a small body standing in the doorway. Ne looked up at Kiyomaro with a wide grin. Seeing his new friend appear before him, Gash pushed him aside and jumped at Ne with open arms.

"Hiya Ne!" He squeaked with delight.

Ne replied to Gash with a leap into his small arms. The smaller girl wrapped her arms around Gash and let a small giggle pass through her lips. Kiyomaro grunted at this sight but could not hold back his smile. After a moment or two embracing one another, Ne released her grip from Gash and cracked open the front door.

"Come on in!" She said with a smile.

The boys stepped inside the dark apartment with careful steps. He couldn't help but feel as though each step risked an explosion from a mine or Ureshii's temper. The small apartment hadn't changed from the last time he had come over; in fact it seemed more empty now than it had before. He walked in the living room and took a seat on the small couch.

"Where's Ureshii?" He asked Ne with a smile.

"She should be out in a moment," Ne replied in a sweet tone. "She's in the shower."

"Shower?" Kiyomaro narrowed his eyes at Ne with question. "She knew we were coming, right?"

"Yes," Ne nodded his head. "But she said men are always late, so she didn't count on you coming on time."

His smile dropped and he gave the female demon a blank look. "Well, I guess she's finally been proven wrong, huh?"

"Ne!"

The trio flinched to the sound of Ureshii's low voice. Kiyomaro and Gash looked over their shoulder to see the young lady standing in the hallway. She had both hands placed on her hips and an angry look plastered on her face. Her wet strands of hair dangled down in front of her face and shoulders. She sported a pair of pajamas, which became clear as she walked over to the couch. She passed by the boys and flopped down on the farthest end of the couch.

"Mama!" Ne trotted over to her partner and took a seat next to her.

"What a shock," Ureshii muttered to herself as she reached out to the coffee table and picked up a small box of cigarettes. "You're actually on time." She then flipped open the box and picked out a single stick.

"That's nothing new," Kiyomaro groaned as he lifted his right hand to his forehead.

"Anyway," Ureshii's voice became muffled as she placed the cigarette between her lips. "Ne wanted to tell you what happened the other day." She jerked her head in her partner's direction. "Go on Ne." She said before lighting her cigarette.

"We're ready to hear it." Gash looked at Ne with set of kind eyes.

"Well," Ne cuffed her hands in front of her stomach. "The other day at the fair, we _did_ meet up with one of my friends,"

"That's great!" Gash balled up both fists with excitement.

"But," The pink-haired girl gave a heavy sigh. "He…he wasn't the same." Ne's eyes then darted to the floor. "Hobbes, my friend wasn't the same. He wanted to dominate the human world and our world."

"What?" Kiyomaro and Gash both leaned in toward the smaller storyteller.

"Yes," She closed her eyes and sighed once more. "Hobbes vowed on taking over this world and ours. He abandoned the rest of my friends and took a human partner to help him gain power."

"So the thirst for power continues," Kiyomaro bit down on his lower lip.

A small tear seeped out of Ne's eye and trickled down her pink cheek. She moved her hands lift to her face and she wiped away the small tear. Was this that depressing for her? Ne lifted her hands to her eyes to block her sobbing face from the two boys sitting in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, "I didn't mean to cry again."

"Don't worry about it," Gash approached the female and placed one hand on her shoulder.

"What?" Ne removed her hands from her face and looked Gash straight in the eyes.

"You don't need him," Gash lifted his solo hand to chest level and clenched it. "We can find the rest of your friends without him." He tightened his grip on her small shoulder. "I'll promise you, I'll be with you all the way."

The flow of Ne's tears came to a halt. She closed her eyes and leaned toward Gash. The smaller female fell into the blond's arms and the two embraced in a warm hug. Gash gripped the back of Ne's shirt and rested his chin on her shoulder. The two stood together and for a moment it seemed they were linked in thoughts as well as emotions.

"Thank you…" She whispered into the male demon's ear.

"Takamine!"

Ureshii's booming voice caused to the two demons to instantly separate and look toward the older woman. Kiyomaro chewed on the inside of his cheek, what now?

"We have something else to discuss," She removed the cigarette from his mouth and let out a puff of smoke. "How did today's practice go?"

"Oh, you mean the practice _you_ missed out on?" Kiyomaro hissed at Ureshii causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"Whatever," The smoker shrugged her shoulders. "What happened, did Kane get the part?"

"Uhhhh," Kiyomaro lifted his index finger to his temple and began to scratch.

"Well?" Ureshii cocked one of her thick brows.

Gash jumped in front of Ureshii and stretched his arms out wide. "Kiyomaro got the part!" He shouted with an enthusiastic voice.

"_What?_" Ureshii shot a glare in Gash's direction then in Kiyomaro's. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope!" Gash shook his head from right to left, the smile maintaining to stay on his face. "Kiyomaro got the part of Romeo!"

It appeared as if Ureshii stopped herself from becoming angry. She closed her eyes and tapped on the end of her cigarette. Ashes fell from the stick and landed on the carpet below her. She then snuffed out the cigarette on the floor and pulled herself up from her seat. She glared down at Kiyomaro. The brown-haired boy could feel Ureshii's haunting stare looming over him and he sunk down in his seat.

"But I told Mr. Rin I might back out." Kiyomaro muttered just loud enough for the female standing over him to hear.

"Do what you want, Takamine." Ureshii's voice vibrated throughout the room. "I need these credits so I'm _not_ backing out."

Kiyomaro snapped his fingers in disappointment. He was for sure that upon hearing that _he_ was going to play Romeo that she would back out. It was his last chance at living a long life. There was no way he was going to let his reputation fall because of one kiss on stage. Then again…perhaps there was a reason for this to happen. Perhaps if he helped Ureshii out, she might leave him alone.

"I'll have to think about it." He said in a simple, dull voice.

Ureshii gave another roll over her eyes and grunted. "Then you can go think about it, in your own house."

He looked up at the girl and shot her a glare. He then brought himself up from his seat and stood up straight. Kiyomaro looked toward his partner, Gash and nodded his head once. It was time they take their leave; it wouldn't be wise to stay much longer. The young prodigy walked over to the front door and turned back to face Ureshii.

"Come on Gash, I have a lot of thinking to do." Kiyomaro snorted before looking away from the two females.

"Don't think too hard," Ureshii let a small snicker pass her lips. "You'll give yourself a headache."

"I'll be sure to watch out for that."

Act End.


	11. Act Eleven

The Most Happy

Act Eleven

The sunlight entered the classroom with a soft glow. Another morning was upon Kiyomaro and luckily for him, the first period was nearing its end. The class had just wrapped up the lesson of the day and Mr. Rin stood in front of his desk, collecting his papers. Silence filled the room and Kiyomaro couldn't understand why. The class should have been in uproar, thanks to the fact that _he_ had just been chosen as the class's Romeo. And yet, not a word was mentioned. He sat in his seat, his chin resting on his open palm.

He stared at the back of Nomad and groaned. Nomad's wacky sense of style was blocking his view of the blackboard; his tall blonde hair stood straight up and prevented his eyes from reading what was written before him. Kiyomaro sighed before peering over his shoulder and looking at Ureshii, who now took her seat at the back of the classroom. It came as a shock to him that she had even shown up for class that day, she had been so insistent on cutting class. The female sat silent in her seat, her eyes glued down on a thick stack of papers below her. It was obvious that she was reading over the script for the class's school play. That was a surprise, since when did she care so much about the play?

"All right class!" Mr. Rin clapped both hands, causing Kiyomaro to swirl around to face his teacher. "The bell will ring any second now…"

The familiar chiming of the school bell rung into the classroom through a large speaker and caused the seated students in the classroom to lift up from their chairs. Kiyomaro followed in motion and began to pack his things. Just as he placed his last book into his bag, a shadow loomed over him. He moved his head up to meet whoever was standing in front of him. He was pleased to see it was his teacher.

"Takamine," Mr. Rin said. "I need to talk to you, do you have a moment?"

"Sure," Kiyomaro locked his bag before throwing it over his shoulders.

Ureshii walked up the aisle and began to pass by Kiyomaro and Mr. Rin when the teacher lifted his hand to stop the female. She blinked several times in confusion and glared at her teacher.

"Shikimori, I need to talk to you as well." Mr. Rin explained himself.

"What is it?" Ureshii curled up her lip as she spoke.

"Well, I know that Takamine was in the midst of deciding whether he was going to be our Romeo in the play," Mr. Rin lifted his index finger to the bridge of his nose and pushed upward on his glasses. "And I wanted you to meet one of your fellow actors. Maybe she can help you make the final decision, Takamine?"

"Uh, I guess." He bit down on his lower lip, feeling unsure of his current predicament.

"Please say hello to Juliet's Nurse, Hanamori Mikoto." Mr. Rin walked toward the classroom and opened the door.

A female stood in the doorway with a smile on her face. Her long dark green-colored hair hung down passed her shoulders. Her bangs danced over her large stunning eyes as she stood in silence. The warm air that entered the room through the window caused Mikoto's school dress to waft from side to side.

"Hello," Mikoto approached the three and bowed in front of them. "I'm looking forward to working with you both."

"Hello," Kiyomaro bowed in front of the female and gave her a warm smile.

"Please get to know each other!" The teacher said as he began to push the three teens out of the door. "Hanamori," He said to the tallest female, "See if you can get Takamine to join our play." He then pushed the teens outside of the room, slamming the door in the process.

"Nice to meet you, Kiyomaro." Mikoto lifted her delicate hand to her face and began to giggle.

Mikoto then turned to Ureshii, to greet the older female only to have her shoot a glare in her direction. Ureshii lifted her arms and crossed them over her chest and narrowed her gaze at Mikoto. The taller girl brow twitched before she began to laugh nervously. She lifted both hands into the air and took a step back.

"Hello Ms. Shikimori," She muttered in a soft tone.

The transfer student lifted her nose to Mikoto and turned away from her. Then without a word, Ureshii turned and walked away from the couple. Mikoto lifted her hand to her head and began to scratch her scalp. She closed her eyes and continued to laugh.

"Well, I guess her reputation was true after all." She let out a loud sigh and dropped her head.

"That's all right," Kiyomaro lifted one hand and smiled at the girl. "She's always like that."

"Well, I understand that you're going to be our Romeo?" Mikoto lifted her head and tilted it to one side.

"Uh!" He coughed and cleared his throat. "Maybe, I mean…I don't know…"

"Oh?" She poked out both lips.

"I'm going to have to think about it…"

"Well," Mikoto reached around and took a hold of her book bag. "If you'd like, you can come over to my house and practice with me! That way, you can really get a feel if you'd like the part." She then pulled out a small notepad and pen from her bag and began to scribble on a single sheet of paper.

"What?" Kiyomaro blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Sure."

"I don't think I have anything else going on…" The bookholder lifted his hand to his chin. "But," He said straightening out his back, "Do you mind if I brought someone along with me?"

"Like a little brother?" Mikoto smiled.

"Yeah."

"Sure! I don't see why not." The tall female then tore off the sheet of paper from her notebook and handed the paper to him. "This is my address and phone number, come over after school."

"Sounds fine." Kiyomaro's eyes scanned over the paper before he answered. "I'll see you then."

XoXoX

"So where are we going to visit Ne, Kiyomaro?" Gash's asked in an excited tone as he skipped along side his partner.

"No," Kiyomaro said. "I told you, we're going to pick up Ureshii and Ne _then_ we're going to Mikoto's house."

"Oh, that's right." Gash nodded to himself. "You're going to practice for the play."

"That is, if Ureshii agrees to come." He grunted. "She's so stubborn."

The two boys came across a familiar sight, Ureshii's apartment complex. Kiyomaro groaned aloud, it was going to he hell, trying to get Ureshii to come with him. It was strange, Ureshii was usually had a 'tough girl' exterior but she never up and refused to speak to a person before. Not until Mikoto came along, that is. He had never seen anything like it before, how rude! The genius had to expect this kind of behavior from Ureshii by now, she was so odd and yet something was different about this situation. He had to admit to himself, Mikoto was attractive but yet, he had never seen her around school before. Had Mikoto really attended the same Mochinoki middle school he had? Surely, Kiyomaro wouldn't forget a face like hers.

"Are you going to knock?"

Kiyomaro jerked his head from side to side and opened his eyes wide. He was standing before Ureshii's front door. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that he had all ready made it to Ureshii's apartment. Kiyomaro nodded his head to answer Gash and lifted his hand to the door. Two knocks vibrated through the door, no doubly catching the attention of Ureshii. The door creaked open to reveal the ice queen.

The female's eyes darted up and down and scanned her visitors. Upon seeing who was at her door, Ureshii's facial expression dropped. Kiyomaro lifted his hand to greet the grumpy female, only to have her act before he could make his first move. She began to slam the door shut, only to have Kiyomaro to walk in the way. The heavy door slammed on his right foot causing him to yelp out in pain.

"Watch it." Ureshii said in a simple voice as she reopened the door and looked down at his foot.

"_Watch it_?" Kiyomaro shouted, moving his foot out of the doorway. "You just slammed the door on my foot!" He snapped once again.

"You saw the door closing, so why did you do that?" She lifted both brows at him.

"I came here to ask you if you wanted to come to Mikoto's house with Gash and I." He managed to snort out, folding his arms over his chest.

"Hm," Ureshii curled her nose up at the concept and hissed, "And what makes you think I'd actually come with you?" She opened the door wide and walked deeper inside her apartment and allowed the two boys to follow after her.

"Look, you both need to practice your lines, right?" Kiyomaro asked as he stepped into her small apartment. "Just go with me, what's it going to hurt?"

Ureshii walked into her tiny kitchen. "So that means you're going to be Romeo?" She asked with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Because as I recall, you were going to back out." She then chuckled before popping a small purple grape into her mouth.

"Kiyomaro…?" Gash let out a small whimper.

Kiyomaro inhaled deeply before thinking about his situation. If he was going to back out, he would ruin the risk of Ureshii following him to Mikoto's house; this in turn would ruin her chance at becoming social. He clenched both fists, why was this so hard? Why could Ureshii make her own friends and leave him alone? If only he could get Mikoto and Ureshii to become friends then he could finally return to his normal life.

But this was risking his very first kiss…was it worth it? It wasn't as if he needed the extra credit. If only she could become friends with Mikoto…If he could do for Ureshii what Gash did for him then he wouldn't feel so guilt-ridden.

That would mean giving up his first kiss, that would mean participating in a stupid school play but in the end it was the right thing to do. It was something he was willing to risk.

"I'm going to play Romeo!" He finally shouted.

Shocked by the sudden reaction, Ureshii lunged forward and spit out a mouthful of grapes. She lifted her arm to her lips and wiped away any spit before shooting a glare at him.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" She snapped at the younger male. "You said you were going to back out!"

"Well, I've changed my mind!" He returned the shout, biting down on his lip. "Now will you come with me?"

She hesitated for a moment. By the look on her face, a series of questions had to be running through that stubborn noggin of hers. She then slammed her open palm into her face and groaned. She then walked over to her small closet and opened it. She pulled out a light coat and swung it over her back. Ureshii reached down into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small pink bandana.

"Ne!" She shouted. "We're going out!"

A small voice called back to reply to Ureshii's call, "Okay, mama."

"Ureshii?" Kiyomaro spoke to the female bookholder as the she stood and waited for her partner to return from the back room.

"What is it now?"

"You seem to dislike Mikoto more than other people," Kiyomaro explained himself to Ureshii with a questionable tone. "Why is that?"

A sleepy Ne stepped out of the back room, both hands rubbing her tired eyes. Ureshii approached the tiny girl and wrapped the small bandana around her head. After her ears were hidden from sight, Ureshii stood up to face him. She shot him a fierce glare and snorted.

"Girls like her disgust me," Ureshii threw her arms on her hips. "So feminine and dainty. It's pitiful really."

"Oh?" A sly grin shot across Kiyomaro's face. "Were you that kind of girl before coming here?"

Laughter overcame him in that moment and he closed his eyes. A moment or two passed before he reopened his eyes to see Ureshii standing in front of him with a type of fire in her eyes that caused him to become nervous. He took a few steps backward and cringed.

"Never mind!"

XoXoX

"So you've finally arrived!"

Kiyomaro had to admit; having the door open to a smiling face was much more appealing than having the door slammed shut on his foot. Mikoto stood in front of the group with a happy smile on her face. The host stepped to one side, allowing the group into her home. Mikoto's eyes darted from Kiyomaro to Gash and finally to Ureshii. It had to be surprising for the green-haired girl; Ureshii Shikimori had come along with him? There was little doubt that Mikoto's knees were growing weak upon seeing the older female. Her trademark glare was quite intimidating.

"Why hello, Ms. Shikimori." Mikoto said in a low voice, bowing her head as said woman passed by her.

Ureshii's nose darted for the sky before she walked passed Mikoto. Ne and Gash entered the home side-by-side, smiles equipped on both faces. Mikoto studied the two small children for a moment. Her eyes narrowed down on Gash before her eyes moved back to Kiyomaro.

"Make yourselves at home," She managed to crack a smile before shutting the front door behind her. "My parents aren't home."

"Thank you, Mikoto." Kiyomaro headed toward a large red couch that sat in the center of the room.

"Um, Kiyomaro?" Mikoto followed behind him and took a seat beside him. "Is _this_ your younger brother?" She asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"You could say that." Kiyomaro threw his arm behind his head and let out a small chuckle. "This is Gash."

"Nice to meet you!" Gash jumped in front of Mikoto and bowed respectfully.

"And this is?" She turned her attention to a quiet Ne.

"My name is Ne." She answered in a low squeak.

"Is something the matter?" Mikoto bent forward toward the smaller girl.

"Um, no…" Ne lifted her small nose into the air and began to sniff about.

"What is it?" Ureshii stepped toward her partner and held her hand out to Ne.

"I smell something…"

Mikoto rose up from her seat and looked about the room. Nothing seemed out of place. She then turned back to Ne and smiled at her, in her best effort to assure her safety. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked in a gentle tone.

"Oh! I would!" Gash's hand darted into the air.

"All right." The tallest female straightened out her back and lifted her hand to her mouth. "Aurora!"

"_Aurora_?" Ne's eyes snapped open. "Wait, you know Aurora?" The demon sprinted toward Mikoto and took a hold of her school dress and began to tug at it.

"Ne!" Ureshii bolted from her seat and pulled her partner back from the stranger. "What are you doing?"

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the top of the stairs. The group of five turned up their heads to see a tall man standing at the top of the stairs. The man was large in size and stepped down each stair with silence. Once he came into the light his image became clear. Long strands of purple hair draped down over the man's face and a pair of strange dog-like ears stuck out of his head.

"Aurora!" Ne cried out, "It's you!"

"Ne?" The man spoke after lowering himself from the final step. "Ne!"

"Aurora, we've been searching everywhere for you!"

Tears flew from Ne's eyes as she ran toward Aurora. She opened her arms out wide and wrapped them around Aurora's leg. She squeezed his leg as tears streamed down her face. The moisture from her eyes leaked onto Aurora's pant leg as the moments passed.

Kiyomaro, Gash and Ureshii stood in shock, what was this? Could they have actually found one of Ne's missing family members? In Mikoto's home of all places? It struck him as strange; three book holders in the same school? It all seemed too odd to be true. But he couldn't help but feel at ease in this moment, Ne had found one of her family members, which meant that they were one step closer to finishing their mission.

"Aurora! It's you, it's really you!" The feline imp sobbed, "Where is everyone else?"

Aurora bent down to Ne and lifted her up from the ground. He bobbed her up and down in the air, giggling all the while. He appeared taken back by the sight of Ne; perhaps she had grown since he'd last saw her? The tallest demon bent over with little effort and lowered the kitten to the floor before standing back upright.

"We're not sure," Mikoto stepped in for Aurora and spoke in a soft voice. "We've been looking everywhere, but we haven't had any luck." She looked over to Ureshii and continued, "How have you two faired?"

"Not well," Ureshii answered the female with a stern voice. "Although…" She paused for a moment before looking down to her partner.

"We do know where Hobbes is." Ne lifted her hand to her eyes and wiped away remaining tears. "There isn't anything we can do to help him now…"

"I see." Aurora nodded his head. "Oh," He then spotted Gash standing beside Kiyomaro. "And who are you?"

"I'm Gash Bell!" He announced with pride before turning to his partner. "And this is Kiyomaro!"

"Hello, Kiyomaro." Aurora approached the seated genius and held out his hand to his fellow male. "I assume you are Ne's friends."

"Yes," He stood up from his seat and took hold of Aurora's hand. "We wanted to help Ne find her missing friends."

"And who is this?" Aurora's attention turned to a quiet Ureshii.

"Uh," He released Aurora's hand and gave a nervous laugh. "That's Ureshii Shikimori, Ne's partner."

"Nice to meet you, Ureshii."

"Call me Shikimori." Ureshii snapped in a low voice, causing the taller male to cock an eyebrow.

"May I ask you something?" Kiyomaro looked at canine-like male.

"Of course." The older man replied.

"How is it that you can live in this house with Mikoto without her parents knowing about you?" He asked, again taking his seat on the couch.

"Ah," Aurora backed away from the group and took a seat in a near by chair. "Interesting that you ask, Kiyomaro." He then moved his hands under his chin. "As you all ready know, I am a demon."

"Aurora's powers allow him to manipulate others thoughts and memories for a short period of time." Mikoto explained before sitting on the arm of Aurora's chair. "This way, he can manipulate my parents into thinking he's my older brother."

"Wow!" Gash's mouth dropped open. "That's pretty neat!"

"Now if you don't mind me asking…" Kiyomaro bit down on his lower lip before continuing. "How many spells _do_ you know?"

"Um," Mikoto lifted her finger to her chin and turned to Aurora with a worried expression.

"We don't like to engage in battles with others." He stated before placing his hand over Mikoto's arm.

"Why is that?" Ureshii huffed as she lifted her fingers to her forehead and pushed away the stray hairs in front of her face.

Aurora let out a low growl. Ugh why did she have to pull this kind of stuff in front of strangers? Didn't she have any respect for someone else's home? Gah! She had no idea what he and his partner, Mikoto had been through or what they knew. Typical Shikimori, what else could Kiyo expect from her? Aurora removed his hand from the girl and clenched his fists.

"But," Kiyomaro intervened, moving his arm in front of Ureshii to block her view from Aurora. "If you don't fight, they'll eventually come for you."

"And if you don't fight, you won't learn any good spells." Ne ran over to the male demon and placed both hands on his knees.

"We came to that conclusion too," Mikoto reached forward and placed one of her delicate hands on Ne's head. "But then we thought of something,"

"If we passed through the portal without any notice then perhaps," Aurora narrowed his eyes at Kiyomaro as he spoke. "Our escape went unnoticed and that would mean that no one knows there are actually one hundred and six of us here. In this way, no one will come looking for us six."

"That makes sense." Gash glanced over at his partner.

"The six of us should be spared." A wide grin spread across Aurora's face.

"That is," Ureshii flopped back down into her seat. "If you six don't have your books burned first." She then dug her hands into her jacket pockets. "If you don't fight, you have no way of defending yourself if something does happen."

Kiyomaro hesitated for a moment, "That's true."

"And what are the chances of something happening?" Aurora snapped at eldest girl.

"More likely then you might think." Ureshii lifted a single brow before releasing a small chuckle.

"But like I asked before," Kiyomaro lifted his hand into the air, "How many spells do you know?"

Aurora paused for a moment. "One."

"But that doesn't matter!" Mikoto jumped into the conversation. "If we stay low and out of sight, then we won't have to battle anyone!" She turned to Aurora and placed one hand on his strong shoulder. "I'll be sure to protect him with everything I have."

"Oh isn't that sweet." Ureshii gave the group a roll of her eyes.

"You see," A bright red flush flooded Mikoto's cheeks. "Aurora and I are in love."

"WHAT?" Kiyomaro, Gash and Ne shouted together.

Aurora reached up and grabbed Mikoto by her shoulder. "Yes, it's true." He then dragged the young female down toward his chest. "I intend on staying with Mikoto forever."

"Can you DO that?" Kiyomaro's mouth dropped open wide.

After collecting herself, Mikoto looked back at him. "Why not?"

"I don't know of any rule against it." Aurora chuckled.

"This is all very touching but," Ureshii pulled her hands from her pockets to reveal a small box of cigarettes. "You should resist investing anymore emotions into this relationship."

"What?" Mikoto's eyes opened widely. "Why?"

"You can shut off your emotions if you try hard enough." She spoke before closing her eyes. "You should put your feelings aside."

"Mama!" Ne darted over toward her partner with wide eyes.

"You have a lot of nerve coming into my home, speaking like that!" Aurora sprung up from his seat to meet Ureshii.

"Yeah?" She shrugged her shoulders in a careless manner. "I'm trying to save you from some hurt."

"And what would _you_ know about hurt?" Aurora hissed.

"Look," Ureshii opened the small box and pulled out a cigarette. "If you don't learn any new spells then you're as good as dead." She then placed the slender stick in her mouth. "And you have to fight to learn anything worthwhile but you two geniuses are avoiding battles at any means." She then lifted a small lighter to her face. "So you might as well kiss each other good-bye."

Aurora lifted his hand in front of his face. "You're just looking to start a fight."

Kiyomaro looked over to Ureshii. A small red and orange flame flickered in front of her face. After a moment of lighting her cigarette, Ureshii pulled the lighter away from her face and placed the small device back into her jacket pocket. She took a long drag on her stick before blowing out a cloud of smoke.

Could she really be _that_ cold? How dare Ureshii tell a man and woman to push aside their emotions for one another? It was more than rude, it was cruel and Kiyomaro wasn't sure what to say about it. In an odd way, Ureshii was right. Without fighting and building up their strength how could Aurora and Mikoto defend themselves against oncoming battles? Without strong spells there was no way that Mikoto could protect Aurora.

"Hey," Ureshii shrugged her shoulders once more. "If you don't want to take my advice that's fine." She placed the cigarette between her lips. "I could care less about what happens to you two."

"No one asked for your advice!" Aurora slammed his foot on the floor and shouted at the female seated in front of him.

"Okay." Ureshii tapped down on her cigarette, causing ashes to fall from the end of the stick. "Well, it's been nice but," She picked herself up and stood in front of the group. "We should get going."

"Mama!" Ne rushed to Ureshii and grabbed her jacket sleeve. "We can't go just yet! This is family and it took us so long to find him!"

"Now, Ne." Ureshii lifted the cigarette to mouth for the finale time. "I won't tell you again."

"But mama!"

"Are we partners or not?" Ureshii ripped the cigarette from her mouth and stared Ne down. "If you want to be my partner then you would do as you were told. No questions. Unless this _man_ means more to you then I do."

Ne lowered her head. Kiyomaro looked on as the young pink-haired demon fought with herself, no doubt her partnership with her 'mama' meant a lot to their relationship and yet, it was obvious her heart ached for Aurora. Ne looked up to see her partner walking toward the front door. The red bookholder could see Ne's legs grow heavy; she then closed her eyes tightly before making a dash to Ureshii. Obviously pleased with Ne's decision, Ureshii stopped mid step and peered over her shoulder.

"I stand by my advice. Take it or leave it."

Ureshii then continued to walk toward the front door. Before she could reach down to open the doorknob, she snuffed her cigarette out on a small coffee table placed beside the door. The older woman opened the door and stepped out of the house. Kiyomaro watched as her long hair flowed in the afternoon air. What a strange girl. He sighed after hearing the door close. He looked back to see a shocked Mikoto and Aurora. How was he going to explain this one? In a way, he felt embarrassed by Ureshii's actions after all; he _had_ brought her with him.

"I hope you enjoyed meeting Ureshii!"

Act End.


	12. Act Twelve

The Most Happy

Act Twelve

The lunch bell rang and vibrated through Kiyomaro's ears. Had the day really gone by so fast? It was just mere seconds ago it was first period and he had been a subject to Nomad's storytelling. Where had the time gone? He sat in his seat, his lunch spread out in front of him. He had no appetite today, surprising for the pervious day he had.

Yesterday had brought him many questions and thoughts. Where did _he_ and Gash stand in rankings? Were he and his partner ready for any upcoming fights? He sighed, he wasn't sure. Through the many battles he and Gash had fought through, it had always come out in his favor so did that mean they were superior? How would Gash fair against Ne?

He couldn't help but wonder, was Ureshii a threat? Kiyomaro was sure that Gash could take on Aurora without breaking so much as a sweat but what about Ne or even Hobbes? All the thoughts of demon battles had distracted him from what was going on at school.

Yesterday, Kiyomaro was supposed to be studying with Mikoto and Ureshii but the news of Aurora had distracted them all. He couldn't remember a word of his script. To add to his luck, Ureshii hadn't shown up for class, which meant that he was lacking a study partner. What was he going to do now?

"What's wrong with Takamine?" Kane growled down to Kiyomaro who was seated beside him.

"Hm, I don't know." Yamanaka lifted his milk carton to his lips and began to sip. "Yesterday he told me that he was going to see Ureshii and now he's depressed."

"Maybe she said something to him?" Mariko pouted her lower lip.

"Maybe," Yamanaka gave the group a sly grin. "They practiced the kissing scene yesterday."

"WHAT?" Suzume and Kane shouted at once.

As Suzume and Kane's voices entered Kiyomaro's ears, he snapped out of his thoughts and sat up straight. "What happened?" He shouted in return.

"Just _what_ were you doing to Ureshii yesterday, Takamine?" Kane jumped at him.

"What?" Kiyomaro's cheek twitched. "Nothing. We were supposed to practice our lines together but she got mad and left as usual."

Together, Suzume and Kane let out a huge sigh of relief. "We were worried!"

"What bother talking to her, Kiyomaro?" Mariko glanced at him and sighed. "She'll never listen."

"I don't know…" He rested his chin in his hand. "But we need to practice but she doesn't want to cooperate with me!"

"How about you study with Kane?" Suzume asked.

"Haha!" Kane threw his head back to laugh. "I all ready know all of _my_ lines! I made sure to practice every night! I need to be ready for my Ureshii!"

"Can't you just practice by yourself?" Mariko lifted her chopstick to her mouth and took a bite of her lunch.

Before answering, Kiyomaro looked at Mariko and lifted one finger. He then dug deep into his bag and pulled out a large stack of papers. He then slammed the large stack on his desk. The group leaned into to take a better look at the mountain of papers.

"These are my lines with Ureshii." Kiyomaro said simply.

"All of them?" Mariko gasped.

"Every single one." He nodded his head in a slow motion. "I could _try_ but I don't know how much good it will do me."

"Excuse me, Kiyomaro?"

The group of friends jumped at once to the sound of a girl's voice. They all turned at once to see a slender female standing in front of them. Kiyomaro perked up to the girl's voice and saw Mikoto standing in front of him. He had to assume that she had come from her classroom to his for something important.

"Mikoto!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Kiyomaro, I was wondering…" She lifted her finger to her lip and smiled at the group. "If you could come to the park after school? Ms. Shikimori will be there. We wanted to practice our lines together since we didn't get a lot of studying done yesterday."

"Ureshii is going to be there?" He cocked an eyebrow in shock.

"Yes." She nodded.

"I'll be there." That was a relief. He sighed, "Thanks Mikoto."

XoXoX

The school day for Kiyomaro seemed as if it had sped by, was he excited by the meeting Mikoto had set up for him? No, it couldn't be. It was just Ureshii-the-ogre at the park. After the school bell rang, he found himself speeding his way down to the park. As he approached the school gates, he saw Mikoto waiting for him. She was waiting for his arrival with her usual smile. Strange, to have someone waiting for him with a _smile_.

"Hey, Mikoto," He smiled after finally catching up to her.

Mikoto gave him a gentle wave hello, "Let's not wait; we can't have Ms. Shikimori waiting too long."

"Right," He gave an eager nod.

Mikoto gave him a warm smile and turned around and began walking forward. Kiyomaro of course followed, not wanting to keep Ureshii up. His mind was full of wonder; would Ureshii really be there? Or was this a trick? She had been acting so strange lately; it wouldn't be too out of character for her not to show up. This had to be a trick; he couldn't wait to get to the park and find out for himself.

But while all caught up in his enthusiasm he remembered Gash. Shouldn't he be coming along? He quickly stopped in his tracks and looked up to Mikoto. She took note of his sudden halt and turned to look back at him.

"What's the matter?" She asked him oddly.

"Well, I just thought that Gash might want to come." He paused for a moment, "I should go and get him."

Mikoto looked at him for a moment; the stare caused him to feel silly. He began to let out a small chuckle as he reached his arm around and scratched the back of his head. "Why?" She finally asked him.

"I just said, I think he'd like to come." Kiyomaro repeated himself, as he closed his eyes and continued his laugh.

"Don't you think he'll get in the way?"

"What?" His laughter suddenly came to a stop; his eyes fluttered open to look Mikoto straight in the face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Ms. Shikimori doesn't seem to appreciate annoyances…" Mikoto muttered as she moved her hand to her face and poked her bottom lip.

"Annoyances?" His mouth nearly dropped to the floor, "Mikoto, what are you talking about?"

"No, no! Don't get mad!" She whimpered as she threw her hands up in the air, "It's just…"

"Just what?" Kiyomaro slightly grumbled as he gripped both fists tightly.

He looked on at Mikoto with a slight feeling of anger in his eyes. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't want Gash to follow along with the two. Gash had never done anything to Mikoto or even anyone. It was because of the small blond demon that he had become so understanding. What was the worst Gash could do to her?

"Nothing," Mikoto let out a long sigh, "Go ahead and get Gash." She then bowed down before him.

Kiyomaro twitched as he cocked an eyebrow. He then scratched his head lightly and nodded. This confused him even further, but there was nothing he could do so he went with the situation.

There was an awkward silence between the couple truth be told, he was awaiting an apology from Mikoto. A respectful bow was the _least _Mikoto could do for him. A verbal apology seemed more appropriate, but it became apparent that he would not be receiving one anytime soon.

"So," Kiyomaro cleared his throat loudly, "Are you going to get Aurora?"

"No," Mikoto spoke in a soft tone before she turned away from him.

"Hm?" He twitched once again in confusion, "Why's that?"

"Because…" Mikoto replied softy, "I don't him to be an annoyance."

Kiyomaro jumped in surprise. In five mere minutes the girl before him and transformed into the most confusing girl he had ever met. She was even harder to understand than Ureshii. He didn't get it; why would Aurora be in the way? He stood in his silence for another moment before he finally broke the silence.

"Let's meet in the park all right? I'm going to grab Gash."

"Agreed," She replied in a dull voice.

XoXoX

Kiyomaro dashed down the street, Mikoto's words repeating in his head the whole way. What was her problem? Calling Gash annoying one minute then trying to act sweet the next? Girls were proving to be very strange to him. Although, Suzume and Mariko never appeared this strange…these girls were something else.

As these thoughts raced through his head, a loud crash sound snapped Kiyomaro back into reality. He halted and looked left then right. What was that sound? He looked forward to see a broken plant pot before him. He released a sigh of relief; it must have fallen out of the window above.

He grunted to himself, he needed to remain vigilant for all he knew that crash could have been a demon. He shook off the incident and ran around the broken pile. He needed to fetch Gash and fast, how knew how long Ureshii would wait for him.

XoXoX

"Kiyomaro, you seem a little distracted, are you all right?"

Kiyomaro groaned to himself. Gash was asking about his health _again_. He fought back the urge to shout at the young demon. Of course he was all right, how many times did he have to tell Gash? _Was_ Gash being annoying? Kiyomaro looked down at the blond boy and sighed.

"Gash," He said. "When we're practicing you have to be quiet okay?"

Mikoto's comment was getting to him. It was all still fresh in his mind. Was it true? He hated to admit it, but most of the time he and Gash were fighting over _something_ but was this an annoyance?

"…Sure." Gash gave a slow nod of his head.

It wasn't long before the boys found themselves at the park gates. It was a beautiful day out, the fresh smell of grass and warm air made the day perfect. The birds chirped and the clouds moved slowly above their heads the weather couldn't be any better. Gash inhaled a deep breath of the clean air.

"It's nice out today," He grinned up at Kiyomaro, "I'm glad you invited me out."

He paused for a moment and smiled to himself, "Me too."

In the distance he spotted Mikoto standing out in the open. She was easily to spot it seemed, so without any hesitation Kiyomaro walked toward her. He had to admit to himself that he was still feeling slightly bothered by her but he couldn't let that show. So with a smile on his face he walked right up to her and gave her a cheery smile and wave. She giggled to herself and waved back in reply.

"Hello Gash," Her voice was soft as she approached the imp.

"Hi Mikoto!" Gash gave his trademark smile.

"So…" Kiyomaro spoke, feeling nervous, "Is Ureshii…"

"Over there," Mikoto closed her eyes and cracked a small smile as she pointed behind him.

His eyes grew wide and without delay he turned around to see if it were true. And behind Kiyomaro sat Ureshii; She was seated against a small pink picnic table which was grounded conveniently under a large tree. He was shocked, she had come. He then ran toward her, the excitement written all over his face.

"You came!" He exclaimed happily.

"Yeah?" She twitched with anger, "And? Big deal."

"Ureshii…" Kiyomaro smiled feeling slightly accomplished; he had gotten her to come; maybe all those days when he felt as if he was going nowhere actually meant something.

"Hey Ureshii," Gash squeaked with delight as he too ran toward her.

"Hmm," Ureshii pondered for a moment, "I should have brought Ne, only if I knew you were gonna be here."

"That's all right," The blond nodded as he moved one hand to the side, "I'm just here to watch."

"What made you come?" Kiyomaro finally broke his silence.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Takamine," Ureshii replied as she inhaled deeply, "But I came because…"

His expression dropped as he watched Ureshii have such trouble answering his question. Seconds passed with no answer from Ureshii, he twitched from the wait. Until he finally snapped, "BECAUSE?"

"_Well,_ if you shout at me like that," Ureshii glared at the younger male before turning away from him and Gash, "Then I don't think I should answer."

"Kiyomaro!" Gash shot a glare up at a defenseless Kiyomaro, "How could you shout at Ureshii like that?"

"I wasn't shouting!" Kiyomaro brought his fists up to his chest and shook them, "I was asking a question! Which _she_ by the way, did _not_ answer!"

"I don't _need_ to answer you, Takamine." Ureshii snapped back bitterly still refusing to back at him.

"Oh come on guys," Mikoto cut into the conversation, "Let's not fight."

"Mikoto's right!" Gash pointed up at begging female, "Kiyomaro stop fighting with Ureshii."

He gritted his teeth in anger, "I wasn't fighting,"

"Well you did start it, Kiyomaro." Mikoto pointed at him, no doubt trying to prove a point.

Kiyomaro could feel fire begin go swirl around in the pit of his stomach, and just as he was about to burst with anger a small sound came from Ureshii. The three turned to her to see that she was yawning.

"Are you done?" She asked lazily as she covered her mouth from the yawn.

"Hey!" Kiyomaro barked, pointing right in her face, "Don't start!"

"All right, all right," Ureshii snarled as she slapped Kiyomaro's hand away, "Let's just get this practicing out of the way, I've got things to do."

Kiyomaro shut his eyes tight. Gash and Mikoto looked at him, awaiting his answer. Moments passed, and all he could feel within him was frustration; but if he fought back with Ureshii, as he so desired, then nothing would ever get accomplished. So he inhaled a deep breath of air. Gash and Mikoto let their mouth's drop open; the anticipation had gotten to them. Finally Kiyomaro nodded his head slowly.

"Good." Ureshii smirked, "Let's go Romeo."

"No problem…" He twitched giving her a fake smile.

Gash and Mikoto let out a small sigh of relief then looked at each other and smiled.

"So," Mikoto clapped her hands in delight, "Where should we start, hm?"

Ureshii reached down into a small book bag and pulled from it her book; she quickly flipped it open and placed a single finger on one of the pages, "How abou-" She was quickly cut short by a loud bang.

The four immediately looked up from Ureshii's book and looked about. The loud bang had come from directly behind the group. Kiyomaro, fearing the worst ran in front of the females and stood strong. It was his duty as the only male of the group to protect the females.

"What are you doing?" Ureshii sneered quietly, trying her very best to keep her voice down.

"Shh!" Kiyomaro brought his index finger to his lips.

"Don't tell me to 'shh', Takamine!" Ureshii barked, bringing her voice up.

"Ureshii _please_," Kiyomaro sweated as continued to keep his voice low.

Doing as she was told, Ureshii swallowed her pride and kept quiet. What seemed like many hours, were really mere seconds and finally it seemed as if bang was harmless. Kiyomaro sighed and wiped any lingering sweat from his forehead, he then turned back to Mikoto, Gash and Ureshii.

"I thought it was an enemy," Kiyomaro explained himself as he let out a breath of air.

"Yeah?" Ureshii snarled as she moved one hand onto her hip, "And what if it was? What were _you_ gonna do?"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you!" Kiyomaro growled.

"I can take care of myself, thank you. I don't need a MAN helping me." She lifted her nose into the air.

"ENOUGH!" Kiyomaro slammed his foot on the ground as he shouted loudly. "I've had enough of your hatred for me and any other man! Just get over it all ready!" He continued his shouting spree, "And another thing-" Kiyomaro was interrupted by a large booming sound.

Behind him, Kiyomaro could hear the tree branches rustle as if something large was spreading them apart. He watched at Mikoto, Gash and even Ureshii's eyes grew very wide, something was standing behind him. He gulped loudly, not wanted to turn back around.

"Takamine…" Ureshii spoke, nearly breathless, "Maybe you should move…"

Kiyomaro shook as he slowly looked back over his shoulder. He was nearly blown to the ground at the sight behind him. Standing behind him stood a very large demon; it had to be the most hideous thing he'd ever seen! It was insect-like in every way, looked almost identical to a common housefly.

Kiyomaro turned fully around and slowly began to step back. He didn't want to make any rash moves. He continued to move back until his foot bumped into something on the ground. His eyes gradually made their way downward to see what it was. Luckily, he had bumped into his school bag, which contained his book. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he, without any hesitation, reached down and ripped the bag from the ground.

He reached down into the pouch and pulled out his trusty red book. He looked back at a horrified Gash and gave him a cocky smile. Gash shook his head back and forth vigorously, shaking off the fear. He then gave Kiyomaro a positive nod, yes.

"You ready Gash?" Kiyomaro smirked as he flipped open the book.

"Ready as ever!" Gash positioned himself ready for battle.

"I wouldn't get so cocky, boy."

Kiyomaro jumped to the sound of a very deep voice coming from behind the demon challenger. Both boys were surprised to see a small elderly man step out from behind the bug. He looked so delicate; he had a hard time bringing himself to believe that _this_ was his enemy.

"Are you serious?" Kiyomaro chuckled slightly.

"Takamine," Ureshii growled, "Don't leave yourself open!"

"I can take care of it." He snapped back, without even looking back at Ureshii.

"Kiyomaro," Mikoto whispered, "Be careful."

"Let's get started then," The man spoke devilishly as he took opened his book.

"Gash, get ready," Kiyomaro warned his partner, "Let's let him make the first move."

"Right."

The man screamed out a loud spell, and the beast before Gash and Kiyomaro began to transform. There was a blinding white light that left Kiyomaro feeling very open to attack. He couldn't risk Gash getting hurt, so without a second's hesitation his called out his shielding attack.

"RASHIELD!"

The beautiful shield proved itself useful as it blocked the bug's first attack. This battle was going to be a long one.

"Mikoto, Ureshii!"

The two girls stood up straight to the sound of Kiyomaro's booming voice. "You two need to get out of here, now!" He shouted back, trying to sound his fiercest while in the midst of the great danger that stood before him, "Go and hide somewhere safe!"

Mikoto's eyes widened with fear as she stared upon the giant demon beast. She dropped her mouth as if she were to speak but nothing but small whimpers left her lips. Ureshii on the other hand became frustrated with the situation, gripping her fist and teeth showcasing it clearly for Kiyomaro.

"Go now!" He shouted before turning back to the huge demon. "I can handle this."

"Damn," Ureshii sneered as she whirled around and took a firm grip on Mikoto's arm. "Hang in there, Takamine." It was then that the two girls fled the scene.

"Will do," Kiyomaro growled to himself.

"Okay Kiyomaro," Gash began his tone very optimistic, "What's the plan?" He turned to his human partner with a cute grin.

He paused for a moment with a blank look on his face, "I'm not sure yet."

"What?" Gash gasped loudly, his optimistic smile suddenly fell and transformed into a worried stare.

"We can do this without a plan," Kiyomaro laughed to himself, "We've done it before, right?"

Gash moaned worriedly as he turned back to his challenger. He stared upon the size of the beast; its size alone was terrifying, just the thought of having to fight that creature was almost unimaginable. Gash inhaled a deep breath of air and pumped himself up; this battle had to be fought, so he regained his smile and awaited Kiyomaro's call.

"I wouldn't get too excited just yet," The elderly man finally spoke, "I want to play with my prey before I dispose of it."

XoXoX

"Ms. Shikimori, where are we going?" Mikoto cried as she was carelessly pulled along by Ureshii's hand.

The two had been running for a few blocks before Mikoto finally brought herself to speak. The two had entered a small street way, which led back to Ureshii's small apartment complex.

"_We_ are going to help Takamine," Ureshii let out a low growl, "So _we're _going to get Ne and Aurora." She mumbled still dragging Mikoto forward.

Mikoto let out a small squeak of fear; she couldn't fight with Aurora, what if he got hurt? She then worked up enough courage to rip her arm away from Ureshii, causing both girls to stop in their tracks. Ureshii was surprised by Mikoto's act and spun around to confront her. Ureshii gave the younger female a harsh look. By this time she was trembling with fright.

"What's the problem?" She barked, causing Mikoto to flinch with fear.

"I can't fight with Aurora!" She finally broke her silence with a loud squeak, "He doesn't know any good spells!"

"And whose fault do you think that is?" Ureshii growled as she clenched her fist tightly, "We can't wait around here; we have to get back to Takamine."

"No!" Mikoto cried, "I can't lose Aurora!" She shut her eyes, tears now pouring down her cheeks, "If he leaves, then I'll be all alone…" Her weeping became quiet, "Then what will I do?"

Ureshii snarled something under her breath, the green-haired girl couldn't make out. The older girl bit down on her lip with obvious frustration. It was plain as day that the elder bookholder wasn't good with these types of situations and now definitely wasn't the time for a pep talk.

"If you're not going to help Takamine that's your issue," Ureshii at last spoke with her only good answer, "I'm going to get Ne," Her voice suddenly became low, sad almost, "If you decide to come…that's fine."

"Ms. Shiki…mori…" Mikoto sniffled as she reopened her eyes only to see that Ureshii had all ready taken off to fetch Ne.

XoXoX

"ZAKER!"

Kiyomaro let out a loud battle cry as Gash's blast of lighting radiantly spewed from his mouth and crashed head on with the demon before him. He let out a cheer, pleased with the shot; he smiled down at Gash congratulating him with the attack.

"We won't go down that easy, come now," From the dust came the elderly man's voice, "You don't truly believe it was going to be that easy, hm?"

Gash and Kiyomaro both let out a gasp as the dust cleared before them. The demon was still standing tall and ready for the next attack. The older boy grunted with anger, he was sure that Gash's Zaker had hit dead-on. He griped tightly to his red book.

"What next Kiyomaro?" Gash whimpered, looking to his partner for help.

"We let him attack," He whispered, "Then we can see what kind of power he's really holding back."

Gash nodded, giving the bookholder the message that he understood. The two boys held back their attacks and stared at their opponents fiercely. Kiyomaro hated holding back attacks but it was necessary to see what kind of power the large demon held. Growing frustrated with the elongated pause the elderly man let out a small grumble. He couldn't make out if the man had called out a spell or if he was just talking to himself. He quickly became nervous and placed his left hand on his red book, ready to call out Rashield again.

"I can see this fight is going to very boring," The man twitched with anger as he spoke, "I want a good fight, boy! Come at me!"

_He wants a challenge. But…what would happen if we weren't?_

Kiyomaro jumped back in surprise. Then he got the greatest idea. He sluggishly placed his hands on his hips and let out a long, lazy sigh. He let his back slump down in a very downing pose. Gash turned to look at his partner in utter confusion and was shocked to see that he had let himself slouch down into a very lethargic pose.

"K-Kiyomaro?" Gash's jaw dropped open, "What are you doing?"

"You see," Kiyomaro muttered, letting a very bored look cross his face, "I just _hate_ fighting," The elderly man twitched at his comment, "And when I fight I just get booored…"

"Cut that out!" The man screamed at Kiyomaro from a distance, "Fight me!"

"Nah, I'm not quite in the fighting _mood._" Kiyomaro then let himself fall to the ground with a yawn.

"Kiyomaro!" Gash watched as the older boy sat on the grassy ground and began to pick the small flowers around him.

"Fine!" The man cried out as he gripped both of his fists, "I can see that you're not going to satisfy my fighting need! We're leaving!" And with that the aged man turned away with his beast by his side.

"Wow it worked!" Kiyomaro blinked in surprise, his happy smile quickly returning.

"Kiyomaro…" Gash twitched, "I thought you were sick…"

Act End.


	13. Act Thirteen

The Most Happy

Act Thirteen

By this time the sun had begun to set in the sky. The whole day, it seemed, had passed by in an instant. Ureshii had showed up shortly after the battle ended with Ne, and wasn't pleased with the excuse that Kiyomaro had tricked the bookholder. She of course said some unpleasant things to Kiyomaro and left in a tizzy. Although, he could help but feel like Ureshii was more worried about him and Gash than angry; though he kept that information to himself; if spoken it could mean certain death.

So the day ended, Kiyomaro was grateful that the day had ended with Gash by his side. He could have easily lost him. This taught him to be more aware of his surroundings, and now he was on edge.

Morning had come too soon for Kiyomaro and it was time for school. So he let out a loud sigh of despair and slowly walked himself to school. On the way, he spotted walking in front of him Nomad. He was slightly taken back by the sight of him, and questioned if he should approach him. Nomad was in his usual get-up, a strange combination of ties and chains. There was no harm in talking to him…right? Kiyomaro nodded to himself and brought himself enough courage to call him out.

Nomad slowly turned around and waved back to him. He patiently waited for Kiyomaro to catch up with him and smiled when he did. "Yo, Takamine!" He gave him a goofy grin along with a hard pat on the back.

"Good morning Nomad," Kiyomaro coughed a bit while holding to his back, after Nomad's pat.

"What brings you 'round these parts?" He winked at Kiyomaro while still holding to his ridiculous grin.

"I _live_ around these parts…" He twitched, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable by the sight of Nomad's smile.

"Ah," Nomad nodded, quickly breaking off their conversation.

The two stayed silent for a moment. Kiyomaro couldn't think of a thing to say, this bothered him. He hated their silence; he had to say something, anything!

"Do you have a girlfriend?" He blurted out finally, he panted slightly from the bust of energy he wasted while holding in during the silence.

"HUH?" Nomad turned to Kiyomaro and gave him a strange look.

Kiyomaro coughed, "D-do you have a girlfriend?"

Nomad cocked a brow and shook his head from side to side, "Nah man." He then popped a small piece of hard candy into his mouth, "Girls here are too picky."

"Yeah!" Kiyomaro muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

"Last girl I dated was whack-o, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Nomad bursted out with a loud laughter that almost busted his eardrums.

Kiyomaro twitched and covered his eyes with his right hand, hiding his embarrassment. He was sweating slightly; he had just made their awkward silence into an awkward conversation. He was ashamed.

"She was so clingy, hate that." Nomad continued chatting with an embarrassed Kiyomaro, "Damn, she was at me twenty-four seven!" His voice then went low, "Can't say I don't miss her though, damn Ureshii…"

_Ureshii?_ Kiyomaro stood straight and stared at Nomad with wide eyes. What did he just say? It couldn't be true. Wasn't Nomad aware of Ureshii's presence in class? Then again…Ureshii _had_ been cutting school. Was this the reason behind it? It seemed impossible, Ureshii having a boyfriend. For all Kiyomaro knew Ureshii-the-ogre was asexual.

"What's up with you, Takamine?" Nomad scratched his head as he chewed on his candy loudly.

"Your last girlfriend's name was Ureshii?" Kiyomaro asked quickly as he grabbed a hold of Nomad's sleeve.

"…Yeah, what 'bout it?" Nomad questioned with some hesitation.

"Don't you know Ureshii goes to Mochinoki?" Kiyomaro came out with the truth without hesitation.

Nomad ripped his arm away from Kiyomaro, "No way!"

He twitched, "Yes! Why would I lie to you?" Kiyomaro then took in a deep breath of air, "She's…"

"Well, out with it!" Nomad reached around and grabbed him by his shirt collar, "What is it?"

Kiyomaro paused for a moment. He knew that Ureshii hated the ground Nomad walked on now, and if he revealed her any information to him she would be furious. He looked downward, avoiding Nomad's eyes. If he did tell Nomad the truth then maybe Ureshii would have a second chance at love, then maybe she would lighten up with her attitude.

"She's in our first period…" Kiyomaro muttered, still looking away from the blond.

Nomad blinked a few times and gently brought Kiyomaro down to the ground. A cocky smirk then became of him. Kiyomaro twitched as he watched his expression change so. "Good, now I can avoid her." He laughed loudly as he began to turn away.

"What?" Kiyomaro gasped, he quickly ran beside the taller male, "You were just saying that you missed her!"

"That's before I knew she was going to our school," He continued with his loud laughter.

Kiyomaro flinched with anger; he couldn't even bring himself to defend Ureshii. He shut his eyes tight and listened to all the voices in his head that told him to defend her. But he just couldn't do it. He stood there in his silence just letting the anger boil in the pit of his stomach. At this moment he had no idea what to do about his current situation, all he knew was that Ureshii was not to find out about Nomad knew they had first period together.

XoXoX

School passed too slowly for Kiyomaro, it could almost compare to the days before Gash came to him. He was angry and he just couldn't swallow the fact that Nomad could be so piggish. He couldn't let go of his anger; something had to be done about Nomad.

Of course his friends noted Kiyomaro's anger and frustration and decided it was for the best to let the teen be mad. So when the school day ended Kiyomaro decided to just march on home.

On the way he came across Ureshii on the other side of the street. Had she noticed that he was angry during the day too? She glanced his way once or twice, what did she want now? She paused mid-step and look both ways before she crossed the roadway. She appeared at his side within seconds with a mild look on her face.

"Hey Takamine," She spoke in a soft tone.

"Hey," He grumbled, looking to the ground as he spoke.

"So Mikoto wasn't in school today," Ureshii started the conversation lightly, "She must still be in shock about yesterday."

"Hmmm." He threw his school case over his shoulder.

"Do you want to pay her a visit?"

"Not really," He let out a sigh, why of all days when she wanted to avoid him, did she feel the need to talk? For _once_ he wanted to shoo _her_ away.

"Takamine," Ureshii growled, no doubt growing angry, "What's the matter, you've been pissy all day."

"It's none of your business," He looked away angrily in another effort to send her away.

"Oh get over yourself!" Ureshii snapped as she grabbed both of his shoulders and turned him to face her, "Are you sick?" She then placed her left hand on his forehead.

"Stop it!" He barked as she gently shoved her aside, "I'm not sick!"

"Then what's the problem?" She barked back; her face then suddenly went blank, "Is it a 'boy' problem?"

"WHAT?" Kiyomaro coughed, he wrapped his hands around his throat, and "What are you talking about?" He then shook his head back and forth, "No! It's not a 'boy' problem!"

"You're the only one who can give me the right answer." Ureshii shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Just leave me alone, all right?" He mumbled as he looked to his side.

Ureshii opened her mouth to yell back at him for his pervious comment but a small beeping sound interrupted her. She reached down into her school case and pulled out a small cellular phone. She casually flipped it open to read the text message she had just received.

Kiyomaro lazily looked toward her to see that her eyes and opened very wide. Curious, he made an attempt to look over Ureshii's shoulder but was quickly shot down when she shoved him to the side.

"What's wrong?" Kiyomaro asked as he regained his balance.

Her eyes grew very wide, her mouth dropped open and she gently spoke, "It's a message from Nomad…" She replied breathlessly, "He wants to meet me at the park…"

"What?" His eyes snapped open as he once again made an attempt at looking over her shoulder. "It can't be!"

Ureshii stared blankly down at the text message on her phone. She then turned to Kiyomaro after his remark with angered look. She closed her phone and began to step closer to him angry as ever. She then moved her arm outward; her index finger extended, she then shoved her finger into his chest.

"You!" She shouted loudly, "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"M-me?" Kiyomaro stuttered as he moved backward.

"Takamine, how could you?" She hollered once again, "How?"

He gulped aloud; his back had hit the wall behind him, he now had nowhere to go. He placed his hands up in defense trying to display his innocence to her. Ureshii waited for an answer, a furious look had now become of her. It was then that she moved both hands in the air and reached out, grabbing Kiyomaro. She snarled as she gripped the younger male's shoulders tightly, Kiyomaro was surprised by this so much so that be quickly lost the words he was about to speak.

"Answer me!"

Kiyomaro shook his head back and forth trying to regain his composure, "Ureshii stop!" He shouted as he grabbed her arms and pushed them violently aside, "Calm down!"

"What did I tell you about Nomad?" Ureshii snapped while folding her arms.

Kiyomaro growled and rolled his eyes, "Look, we talked this morning and as far as I'm concerned, you can't order me around like a servant!" He finally snapped, "I can talk to who I want to!"

"Fine," Ureshii turned her head away from him, "Then you won't be speaking to me."

Why wasn't he surprised by her reply? He had to expect this kind of reaction for someone as selfish as Ureshii. It was either her way or no way at all. Kiyomaro knew the risk of speaking to Nomad but he wasn't about to be ordered around by another classmate. So he sighed loudly and shook his head slowly from side to side.

"Ureshii," He spoke gently to her, "Are you going to meet with him?"

"That's nothing you have to concern yourself with, Takamine." Ureshii turned her nose up at her classmate.

"It is," Kiyomaro spoke again in the same gentle tone, "I know about…you and Nomad." He coughed, "How you were together at one point."

Ureshii flinched slightly, looking back at him with wide eyes. Her surprised look would soon fade into another angered face. She quickly turned her head to one side and spat on the ground. "Yeah? Good for you then."

"I don't think you should go," Kiyomaro lowered his head in shame; Nomad's words were still fresh in his mind.

"_Please_," Ureshii laughed sarcastically, "Mind your own business."

Kiyomaro gripped both fists as he stared longingly down at the ground. He had no words left, nothing left to say. He couldn't convince her not to go and he couldn't as her to stay. He finally let his clenched hands release and he let out a long sigh.

"Fine, go then."

Ureshii closed her eyes slowly and turned away from Kiyomaro. Without even a mumble she walked away from the scene, leaving Kiyomaro to himself. He slowly moved his head upward to see what direction she was headed. He quickly took note that she _was_ in fact headed toward the park. He was powerless to stop her, she was too stubborn to listen to reason and if he told her the truth she wouldn't think twice about it. So he too turned away and began his long journey home.

XoXoX

The door to the Takamine household opened gently, Kiyomaro stepped in a sluggish manner. He let the door slam once his was fully in his home. He then slipped out of his shoes and walked up the stairs into his room.

Gash jumped in excitement as Kiyomaro entered his room. He ran to his partner with a smile plastered on his face. His smile was quickly turned into a frown after seeing his expression. "Kiyomaro," His voice was low, "What's the matter?"

"Ureshii…" Kiyomaro muttered as he made his way past Gash and to his bed, "She's meeting up with Nomad at the park."

"Oh, then good for her! She's making new friends." Gash replied in delight, rushing to his side.

"No, Nomad doesn't want to be her friend." Kiyomaro simplified his words for the young demon, "They're not friends, you see…" He paused for a moment as he looked down upon the curious expression Gash had on his face.

"What?"

"Well," Kiyomaro coughed, "Ureshii and Nomad were once together…"

"Together?" Gash tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"They were boyfriend and girlfriend!" He blurted out, his face very red. "They were in love!"

"Really?" Gash gasped cutely, he then looked confused again, "So then what's the matter with them meeting in the park?"

"Nomad…" He drew a blank for a moment, "Wants to…" He then placed his hand under his chin.

"He wants to what?" The demon asked while jumping up aside Kiyomaro.

Kiyomaro closed his eyes tightly, still trying to think of an answer for Gash, "Well I'm not sure _what_ he wants to do, but I know it can't be good!"

"Kiyomaro," Gash spoke in a small gentle voice.

"Yeah?" The genius looked down to his demon partner with interest; the sudden tone in his partner's voice caught is attention.

"What if Ureshii loves Nomad?" He looked slowly up at Kiyomaro.

The question threw him off slightly, he hadn't really thought about that possibility. He then began to ponder, what if she did? That would mean the love was one-sided. Kiyomaro could clearly remember what Nomad said and it was proof that he no longer loved Ureshii. He knew that she was sensitive with men as it was what if Nomad broke her heart? What if he all ready broke her heart? He inhaled deeply, thinking of an answer for Gash but nothing was coming to mind for him.

"I don't know…" He muttered as he placed his hands on his knees.

"Does Nomad love Ureshii?" Gash asked softly.

Kiyomaro moved his head from side to side. Gash quickly caught on and nodded. He then looked at the ground too. The two were silent for a few moments, both thinking deeply about their situation. Their silence was quickly broken by the sound of Hana Takamine calling for her son.

Kiyomaro exhaled as he stood from his seat. He looked back at Gash and moved his head slightly, the blond nodded and stood up next to him and they both walked down the stairs. He walked toward his mother, who at the moment was focused on the television. He gave her a strange look as he approached her.

"Have you seen the news?" Hana spoke, her eyes still glued to the television.

"No," Kiyomaro raised a brow as he too looked at the small screen, "Why?"

"There have been reports of a giant bug roaming the park area!" His mother exclaimed, as she pointed to the screen.

Kiyomaro and Gash jumped back. It had to be that demon they faced the other day. The two boys quickly looked down at each other and nodded, the both headed for the door. Kiyomaro jumped into his shoes and grabbed his school case. Gash followed as he swung open the front door and ran out.

Even if she didn't want his help, he was going to give it to her and if she hated him for it, so be it.

Act End.


	14. Act Fourteen

The Most Happy

Act Fourteen

Kiyomaro panted as he ran toward the park, Gash by his side every step of the way. The two boys didn't take long to race toward their destination. At the park gates the looked at one another.

"Gash, Ureshii might be in danger," Kiyomaro began, his voice was stern. "Be on the look out for her."

"Right!" Gash nodded his head and gave Kiyomaro a reassuring thumbs' up.

And with that the two headed straight for the center of the park. Once there the two looked about for any sign of destruction or sound of screaming. Nothing. They had run out of their house for what it seemed to be nothing at all. Kiyomaro let out a sigh of relief he smiled down at Gash.

"It looks like a false alarm." He reached down and patted Gash on the head.

"That's good," Gash grinned as he closed his eyes in delight, "Looks like we came out here for no reason then."

"It doesn't have to be meaningless…" A sly look crept across Kiyomaro's face.

Gash looked at Kiyomaro with a confused look for a moment. Then his mind made the connection.

"No, Kiyomaro!" He shouted as he gently tugged on his pant leg, "Leave Ureshii and Nomad alone!"

"Look," He glared down at his partner, "I just want to make sure that Ureshii is safe with Nomad. I won't say anything," He explained as he began walking away from Gash.

"Kiyomaro!" Gash whined, being tugged along by his grip on his pant leg.

"Gash, shh!" The older male quickly moved his finger to his mouth, "You don't want her to hear you, do you?"

"But Kiyomaro…" He whimpered as he lowered his head, "It's wrong to spy on her like that."

"So you want her heart to get broken?"

Gash paused. He gently released his grip on his pant leg as he stared him in the eyes. He obviously disliked the idea of spying on Ureshii the way Kiyomaro wanted him too, but on the other hand he wanted to be there if Nomad stepped out of line with her.

"No, I don't want that to happen…" Gash let out a long sigh, "Let's go then."

Kiyomaro smiled and nodded. The two walked forward to search for Ureshii. The two had it hard; they had to search for Ureshii without being spotted. Kiyomaro had no idea where to start, for all he knew they could have left the park. Maybe Ureshii didn't actually go; maybe Nomad stood her up, so many possibilities and so little patience.

Thirty minutes had passed them and Kiyomaro was growing frustrated with the whole situation, he was almost ready to quit. He inhaled, he was out of ideas.

"Gash, we're not having any luck…" He placed his hands on his forehead.

"I know…" Gash sighed along side of Kiyomaro.

"Let's just go down to the pond and rest, okay?" Kiyomaro muttered as he began walking forward, "The cool air will do us good."

"Good idea." Gash followed Kiyomaro as they made their way toward the park's pond area.

The two reached the area quickly, without all the hiding a trip around the park was quick. The air there was so much cooler; the two boys smiled and inhaled a deep breath of air. It was pretty there, nice and quiet; it was the perfect spot to relax.

As Kiyomaro approached the pond he looked around to see who else was seated in the park benches. He looked to his left, no one he then looked to his right and there sitting in a small bench for two sat Ureshii and Nomad. Kiyomaro's mouth dropped wide open, he was about ready to shout out in anger but he quickly stopped himself. Gash hadn't yet noticed the couple so he looked up at him strangely.

Gash scratched his head, "Kiyomaro, what's the-"

"SHH!" He jumped down and wrapped his hands around Gash's mouth.

He then looked franticly to the left and right, trying to find the perfect hiding place. Gash wiggled vigorously in his arms as he searched. It was then that Kiyomaro spotted the perfect spot, a small bush a few feet behind Ureshii and Nomad. He jumped to his feet and dove into the bush. By this time Gash was very confused, so he pushed away his hands and glared up at his partner.

"Kiyomaro, what was that for?" He exclaimed loudly.

"Gash!" Kiyomaro again covered his demon's mouth, "Shh! Ureshii is right over there!" He whispered harshly as he pointed forward at the couple before them.

"Ohh," Gash nodded after being released from his grasp.

"Let's see if we can hear anything…" Kiyomaro mumbled as he leaned in.

The two boys feel silent as they opened up their ears. All seemed quiet between Ureshii and Nomad. The two sat before the pond with blank looks on their faces. It was an awkward silence. She sat her shoulders pushed upwards in a shy pose she swung her feet back and forth as well. Kiyomaro was a bit taken back by her motions; she appeared to be any other schoolgirl. Nomad on the other hand, was sitting in his cockiness, his arms behind his head and one leg folded over the other. He chewed loudly on a piece of gum; which caused Kiyomaro to twitch.

"Kiyomaro, stop moving…" Gash whispered lowly.

"Sorry…"

Ureshii finally sat back on the bench. She then looked up to Nomad with big eyes. Nomad in return looked down at her with a smirk.

"What's the matter?" He asked in a teasing tone.

She glared at him after hearing his tone, "Nothing."

"You look different, you know that?" Nomad laughed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out another piece of gum.

"Shut up," She growled as she looked away in embarrassment.

"Nah, it's an improvement." He mumbled as he popped the small gum piece into his mouth.

A blush ran across Ureshii's face. She grumbled as she placed her hands on her face trying to rub away the blush.

Kiyomaro twitched with anger as he watched. It almost seemed as if Ureshii still _loved_ Nomad. He couldn't stand it; there were so many other good guys for her. Even Kane was an improvement. He gripped his fists, it was taking all of him not to get up and defend Ureshii. During his thoughts Kiyomaro quickly became distracted by a loud buzzing sound, he looked to see a small fly on his nose. He twitched in disgust, he then slowly reached up and shooed it away from him.

"What did you call me out here for, Nomad?" Ureshii spoke again, her voice small and soft.

"I wanted to see ya, wanted to hear about what happened to you."

Ureshii lowered her head, "Nothing, I just came here."

"I figured that much," Nomad sighed, "That's all though, _nothing_ more."

Those words _had _to hit Ureshii hard, hell, it made _his_ heart crack. She gripped the ends of the park bench. She then looked away from her ex and let out a small whimper. Nomad watched her with a look of mild amusement. It was only typical of him to stand from his seat and gently patted Ureshii on the head.

"Stay healthy, Ureshii." He cleared his throat and turned away from Ureshii, "I'll see you 'round." He then walked away from the girl, leaving her to herself.

Ureshii sat in silence for what seemed like hours. She kept her head lowered, so much so that Kiyomaro wasn't sure if she was sobbing or not. He closed his eyes tightly he wanted so much so to just comfort her but he knew he couldn't at the moment.

Suddenly the loud buzzing returned, Kiyomaro looked to see the small fly had come back for another round. But instead of coming to him, he watched as the fly flew toward Ureshii. After hearing the buzzing for herself, she moved her hand sending the fly away.

"Kiyomaro," Gash whispered as he tugged on Kiyomaro's shirtsleeve, "What are we going to do now?"

Kiyomaro shook his head slowly, "I have no idea…"

XoXoX

The school bell for lunch rang loud and clear. The bell chimed on Kiyomaro's deaf ears. He sat in his seat, lost in his thoughts. He was still thinking about the pervious day. He was mostly quiet the whole day until this point. He was worried, Ureshii wasn't in class today. She had to be hurt. He had never seen her in such a state. She didn't _cry_ yesterday, did she?It was almost as if she was human; until yesterday he had never seen her so upset.

As he sat, quiet and lost in his thoughts, his friends watched him with strange looks. He had been so distant the past two days. Kiyomaro broke himself from his thoughts to look up at his classmates. He looked at each of their faces to see anger. He quickly cocked a brow.

"What's the matter with you guys?"

Kane stuck his nose in the air, "Nothin'! Nothin' at all!"

"Okay…" He scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"No, it's not 'nothing'!" Mariko shouted out as she slammed her hands down on Kiyomaro's desk.

He jumped back in surprise, "Well, then what's the problem?"

The group fell silent. Suzume bit her lip and looked away from Kiyomaro; she knew the reason why everyone was ignoring him. He also knew that she hated to keep any kind of information from him. "Kiyomaro," She spoke in a soft voice, "Is Mikoto really that fun to hang out with?"

He paused. He had to laugh to himself. His friends were quick to glare at him, they weren't seriously jealous, were they?

"Sorry," Kiyomaro chuckled, "It's just you guys are jealous."

"We are not, Takamine!" Kane barked, turning away from the group.

Yamanaka let out a small sigh. So the school jock was feeling the same way? Heck, besides Gash of course, Yamanaka had to be someone he compared to a best friend, how could he feel the same way as Suzume and company? But even if it were true, the red book master couldn't mess up these friendships, he had come too far but in the same thought, it was strange. He had never felt this kind of emotion before. To have someone be jealous over him? Is this what having friends felt like?

"Since Ureshii got here," Mariko began, her voice low, "All you've been doing is talking to _her_. And now that Mikoto's in the picture…"

"You've been spending time with her too…" Suzume looked down at the ground sadly.

Kiyomaro blinked a few times. They _were_ serious. How could spending a few days with Mikoto really hurt his friends that bad? He had to look away for a moment. Maybe he had been making excuses.

"It's only because we have a big role together in the play," Kiyomaro answered in a calm voice.

"But what about you and Ureshii?" Mariko slightly growled, "With all the time you've been giving her, you think she'd be grateful!"

Kiyomaro closed his eyes for a moment. He knew he was getting nowhere with Ureshii; she hadn't changed at all since they met, or so it seemed. But he made a promise to Ne that he would help her find her friends. He had to keep his promise to her.

"I just want Ureshii to find her own friends," He muttered, "She reminds me of myself, how antisocial I was back then…she's just like I was before I met you guys." He looked up to the group with a smile.

The group appeared to be taken back by his reply/explanation. They looked on at him with wide eyes and parted lips but he kept his smile. Suzume had to blush; she placed her hand on her face and turned away.

"Aw, Kiyomaro we didn't mean to make you feel upset," Yamanaka finally spoke; he walked toward him and placed his arm around him, "We were just…yeah you know what I mean."

"Yeah I guess," Kiyomaro nodded. "But about Mikoto," He let out a small sigh, "I need to see her this afternoon."

"Why's that?" Kane huffed.

"I need to practice my lines. Today's rehearsal, remember?" Kiyomaro closed his eyes and let out a small nervous giggle.

"Hey," Suzume turned to him and lifted her index finger, "Let's all go together! Mr. Rin gave me a job!"

"Really?" He felt his heart race, "What is it?"

"I'm working on the sets, I'm doing the backgrounds." She closed her eyes and clapped her hands in delight. "I'm gonna paint the prettiest backgrounds!"

"And I was given the part of Lady Capulet!" Mariko announced proudly as she placed her right hand over her chest.

"Lord Capulet here!" Iwashima raised one arm in the air.

"That's great!" Kiyomaro was excited, now they could all work together on the play.

"Psh," Kane grumbled while crossing his arms, "If you're gonna _beg_ I guess I could show up to help."

"Great then it's settled!" Yamanaka gripped his fist, "Then we'll meet after school to rehearse together!" He grinned at Kiyomaro and punched him playfully on the shoulder, "You better show up, okay?"

Kiyomaro nodded. He could hardly wait. Now he could practice with his friends without feeling guilty about spending time with Mikoto. Things couldn't get any better.

Act End.


	15. Act Fifteen

The Most Happy

Act Fifteen

It was soon time for rehearsal and as promised all of Kiyomaro's classmates had shown up. Well, almost everyone; Kane was the only person absent from the rehearsal. In all honesty, Kiyomaro wasn't too affected by Kane's sudden absence, he rather enjoyed it. Now they could practice in silence. He was happy as he walked into the school's theater, what was left of his buddies by his side. He and the group strolled in to find Mikoto standing on stage. She was slightly slouching in a nervous pose. It was soon apparent why.

"Ureshii!" Kiyomaro exclaimed in surprise as he ran toward the stage.

And there she was, Ureshii. She was standing proudly on stage, her head lifted in an arrogant stance. In one hand she held her reference book in the other a rolled up script. She looked at him with disgust for a moment before speaking.

"Yeah?" She replied in a smug voice.

"You weren't in school today and I didn't think you were…coming…" His voice became lower as he spoke.

"There are certain things that must get done," Ureshii closed her eyes and slowly folded her arms over her chest, "For this play to come together and I don't want to be blamed for ALL of your mistakes." She hissed as she looked individually at each person in the room.

"Well, it seems like you're gonna be even MEANER today, Shikimori!" Mariko snapped back in everyone's defense.

"Don't start with me," Ureshii began only to have Mikoto stand in front of her.

"Come on guys," Mikoto pleaded, "I want to have a good rehearsal today, please!"

They all were silent for a moment. Kiyomaro lowered his head, it was plainly obvious that Ureshii was still bothered by yesterday's occurrence and even though he _knew_ what happened, he couldn't let Ureshii know that he knew. He wanted so much to comfort her and tell her it was going to be all right but that would only get her mad. It was as if everything that came from his mouth was the wrong answer. He couldn't even look at her without causing a confrontation right now.

"We better get started then!" Suzume broke the silence with her sweet voice, "I'll start with the sets." She walked up the stairs in silence.

"Yeah," Kiyomaro muttered while looking to the left.

As he looked over toward the seats he saw someone sitting in the front row. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look. When the image finally began clear to him, he was excited to see that it was Aurora. Without hesitation, he ran to Aurora with a smile planted on his face.

"Hey!" Kiyomaro lifted one hand in the air.

"Good afternoon, Takamine." He replied in a cold tone.

"So, what are you doing here?" Kiyomaro asked with a curious look on his face.

Aurora turned to Kiyomaro with a serious gaze, "There was a 'monster' sighting the other day and I don't want Mikoto to go out without me anymore." He slowly turned back and looked toward his girl and watched her with longing eyes, "I have to protect her."

Kiyomaro nodded he was quick to catch on. He then turned his gaze to the green-haired girl. He knew that Aurora had no chance against the demon he fought the other day. But he went along with it.

"Get up here all ready, Kiyomaro!" Mariko's voice caused him to wince.

He walked up to the stage lost deep within his own thoughts. He had so many things rushing through his mind at once he could hardly see straight. He stared at Mariko, once in his proper place, waiting for her to give the next command.

"So, where are we going to start?" Yamanaka yawned.

"Well, since Kane is NOT here," Mariko grumbled under her breath, "I'm not sure anymore. I was going to start with a scene including Tybalt but he's not here."

"Hm," Ureshii moved her finger to touch her chin, "I almost didn't notice."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Mariko barked as she crumbled her script.

Ureshii paused for a moment, a blank look became of her, "…No, I wasn't…" She finally answered in a saddened tone.

"Anyway," Kiyomaro cleared his throat; he then turned to see Suzume quietly sketching out the backgrounds for the set, "Hey Suzume, what set are you painting?"

She blinked in confusion for a moment, "It's the set for the masquerade party."

"Then let's do that part," Kiyomaro nodded.

"Which part?" Ureshii snarled as she placed her hand on her forehead, "That scene is very long. Do you want to start with Romeo and Juliet's first kiss?"

Kiyomaro jumped back in shock. Suzume's mouth dropped open, her pencil dropped to the floor. It seemed as if time had stopped for a moment.

"There's a kissing scene all ready?" Kiyomaro's voice cracked.

Ureshii shifted her eyes left and right, "…Yeah, you didn't know that?" By the look on Kiyomaro's face she took the answer as 'no', "Geez Takamine, read a book once and while, would you?"

"You should be happy!" Mikoto smiled, "Mr. Rin cut out a lot from the original play," She continued speaking as she reached toward Ureshii and grabbed her hand; she then held up Ureshii's reference book, "We couldn't possibly act out all of this so, Mr. Rin cut out some things."

Ureshii ripped her arm away from Mikoto, "Yeah, so be grateful! If it was the way Shakespeare wanted, you would lose your virginity."

Kiyomaro was too flabbergasted to speak. He simply stood before his classmates with a horrified look on his face. He couldn't think of a single comeback or comment to say. He also very pale, nearly transparent with fear. Yamanaka broke out in a loud laughter, no doubt that the look on his face was priceless. The jock laughed for a good two minutes before turning to look at Suzume. She was just as pale as Kiyomaro felt; maybe she looked even worse than he did. She had snapped the end of her spare pencil she was using on the set. At this sight Yamanaka's laugh returned and it was even louder than before.

"Anyhow," Mikoto cleared her throat, "We need to get started so," Just as she opened her script she was cut off by the sound of the theater doors opening.

Everyone turned to see Nomad standing in the doorway. Kiyomaro blinked in surprise, he jumped off the stage and rushed toward Nomad. He walked right up in front of him and stared at him.

"No…mad…" Ureshii whispered.

Kiyomaro was going to warn Nomad to stay away but he couldn't bring himself to speak. It was something about his eyes. As Kiyomaro studied Nomad's eyes he was taken back by the lack of life in them. He opened his mouth as if to speak but no words left his lips. Nomad glared down at Kiyomaro and with a cocky laugh, he walked passed him. He couldn't move, there just something about his eyes that left him motionless.

"I'm here for my girl," Nomad finally spoke, once he came to a halt right in front of the stage stairs.

Ureshii's face flashed bright red.

"This is a closed set!" Mariko shouted, "Come back in an hour when we're finished!"

"I'm here for my girl and that's it," Nomad shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Just lemme have her and we'll be on our way."

"Your girl?" Yamanaka moved his hand behind his head; he then looked at each female in the room, "You mean Suzume?" He moved his thumb back at the shy girl.

"Whaa?" Suzume lifted her finger and pointed to herself.

Nomad twitched, "No, Ureshii!"

The group turned to Ureshii. She was stunned. There was a slight silence; no one was sure what kind of reply she would give Nomad. Surely she would reject him just as she had done with Kane.

Mariko laughed and shook her head from side to side. "Good luck!" She then smiled at Ureshii, "You won't go right, Shikimori?" Mariko wanted for her response and when she got none her expression dropped, "…Right?"

Ureshii's hands went limp, her reference book and script hit the ground hard. The sound of the hardcover book echoed. The ground watched in surprise as Ureshii jumped from the stage. She ran toward Nomad and stared at him. He gave her a boastful grin. He then placed his arm around her and exited the theater, leaving the group in shock.

"What was THAT about?" Yamanaka puffed up his cheeks in anger.

"Something was wrong with him!" Iwashima shuttered, "Couldn't you feel it?"

Kiyomaro turned back to Iwashima. He ran back up on stage and grabbed Iwashima by his shoulders. "Feel what?" He shook the shorter boy slightly, "What was wrong with him?"

"There was a lot wrong with him," Aurora stood up from his seat, "Kiyomaro that was a doppelganger."

"A what?" Mariko raised a brow.

"Doppelganger!" Iwashima exclaimed in a fearful tone, "Doppelgangers are creatures that steal other people's image! Seeing one is a bad omen!"

"You're lying, there's no such thing." Yamanaka huffed as he crossed his arms, "It's just one of Iwashima's stories. Kiyomaro don't believe him."

"Yamanaka," He gently released Iwashima from his grasp, "You're right, that wasn't a doppelganger…"

"Kiyomaro?" Suzume took notice of Kiyomaro's sudden serious tone.

"I have to go," Kiyomaro turned away from the group and jumped down off the stage.

As he was exiting the theater doors opened once again. Late as ever, Kane came running in. As he entered Kane saw a flash pass him and sprint off out the door. He stopped and looked back to see it was Kiyomaro. Kane scratched the back of his head and turned to face the others.

"What did I miss?"

XoXoX

Kiyomaro could hardly breathe. He had been running at an amazing rate. First he had to stop by his house to grab Gash. Naturally, Gash was snatched from his room and was given no explanation about the current going-ons. He had no time to explain, his mind was focused on his next destination; and that destination was the park.

It wasn't long before Kiyomaro and Gash arrived at the park gates. At this sight Kiyomaro stopped. He looked forward with such seriousness. His chest rose and fell so quickly, his was still panting from his sprint. Gash, by this point who was more confused than ever, stared up at him with concern.

"Kiyomaro, what's going on?" Gash tugged on his partner's shirtsleeve.

Kiyomaro inhaled greatly, "Ureshii's here…with Nomad."

Gash gently released his sleeve, "…Okay,"

"But it's not Nomad," Kiyomaro grumbled as he clenched his fist in anger, "It can't be."

"Kiyomaro!" The blond whined, "Maybe they just want to work things out! Nomad sounds like a nice guy."

Kiyomaro looked down at his demon with angry eyes. He opened his mouth as if to speak but was quickly cut short by a strange wail. He paused and looked about he couldn't see anything that would cause the sound around him. The sound was becoming louder. Gash too looked about, until he finally looked above. Gash let out a shout and pointed upward, before Kiyomaro got the chance to question Gash, a warm, fuzzy body landed on his head.

Instinctively, Kiyomaro reached up and threw the furry object from his head on to the floor. Once on the ground he looked to see that the small fuzzy object was none other than Ne. She was in her feline form and wore a look of anger on her small face.

"Ne!" Gash squeaked with delight as he reached down and plucked the kitten from the ground. "What are you doing here?"

Ne let out a small mew. Her angry expression had changed once she was given proper care. She looked at the demon with big eyes and began meowing nonstop as if to answer his question. Gash twitched with confusion; he had no idea what she could be saying.

"She's following Ureshii," Kiyomaro concluded in a dark tone.

"Really?" Gash cocked his head to one side.

Ne nodded her head, confirming his conclusion. She let out a small mew as she jumped down from Gash's arms. She looked up at Kiyomaro and began to chirp small mews at him. He twitched in the same matter that Gash had moments before.

"Quiet, I can't understand you." He said frankly, a blank look plastered on his face.

Ne let out a loud hiss and began to run forward, deeper into the park. Kiyomaro let out a loud sigh and watched as the kitten looked about for her owner. He was even more sure now that Ureshii was there. She had to be. If this was a demon this was the perfect place for a battle. But something bothered him, why would a demon take Ureshii when she alone? It was apparent that her demon wasn't with her, so why would someone challenge her? Kiyomaro had no time to keep asking himself. He had to find Ureshii and quick.

"Come on, Gash!" Kiyomaro growled as he sprinted forward.

Gash obeyed. The two boys headed followed Ne as she ran deeper and deeper into the park. Kiyomaro could feel his heart about to burst from his chest, he was nervous. What was he to say once he found Ureshii? She wouldn't understand. All she wanted to see was Nomad.

Ne let out a squeal which broke Kiyomaro from his thoughts. He looked forward to see Ureshii walking with Nomad. Kiyomaro knew it was time for him to be honest with her; he couldn't keep it in anymore. He took a deep breath and ran forward. Once close enough, Kiyomaro reached out and grabbed on to Ureshii's arm. This caught her attention quickly; she turned around to see her younger classmate on her arm.

She was quick to become angry, her face turned sour in an instant. Nomad turned around a second later. He took one look at Kiyomaro and gave a large grin. He gulped before he pulled on her, pulling her closer to him. He looked her dead in the eye.

"Ureshii, don't go with him!" Kiyomaro pleaded as he tugged on her arm.

Ureshii looked at him with utter confusion. "What's your problem, Takamine?" She snapped at him.

"Kiyomaro…" Gash whimpered in a soft tone.

"Look," Kiyomaro replied in a firm voice, "You just have to trust me, don't go with him."

"Are you kidding me, Takamine?" She growled, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it now. So go ahead, speak up!"

Kiyomaro grumbled in frustration. He knew this was going to happen. He looked down toward the ground trying to find the proper words to say. He found none. Ureshii had grown impatient with his silent response. In annoyance she ripped away her arm.

"Takamine, you answer me now or I'm leaving!"

Nomad laughed, "I'll give you two a moment," He then turned away from the group and slowly began walking forward, "I'll be at the benches, all right?"

"I'll be there in a moment," She reassured him.

"Ureshii," He finally spoke, "I don't want to hurt your…well you really don't have any feelings…" Ureshii's eye brow twitched with frustration as Kiyomaro stumbled with his words, "But when I was talking to Nomad the other day he said that…"

"That?" Ureshii crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a demanding look.

"He said…" Kiyomaro shut eyes tightly; he just couldn't tell her the truth.

Gash watched Kiyomaro with concerned eyes. He wanted Kiyomaro to just tell Ureshii the truth. He gripped his tiny fists, wanting so much for him to just come clean. Ne watched the male bookholder, no doubt confused.

"Oh I get it," Ureshii threw her hand over her mouth and laughed; Kiyomaro blinked in confusion as he watched her laugh, "You're just jealous!"

He jumped back. He couldn't believe the words coming out of Ureshii's mouth. He moved his hand to his forehead. He shook his head from side to side. Ureshii watched his expression drop and quickly stopped her laughing. She moved her hands to her hips and glared at the younger male.

"Don't deny it, Takamine." She turned away from the group. "I'm leaving now."

"No, Ureshii wait!" Kiyomaro reached out and once again grabbed a hold of Ureshii's arm.

"Dammit, Takamine!" She snapped she was quick to rip her arm back for the second time. "Leave me alone! I don't want you interfering with my relationships!"

"Why? You interfere with mine!" Kiyomaro finally snapped.

Ureshii paused. She gripped her fists and glared at Him. It was then he realized what he said. He couldn't help saying it, it was true. Maybe he had been suppressing the truth but he couldn't anymore. He could tell he had hurt her, by her silence. It was then that Ureshii slowly turned away from the group.

"I'm leaving now, just leave me alone. I don't want to speak to you anymore." Ureshii's voice was low; she was hurt.

Kiyomaro sighed. He watched as she walked off. He could do nothing, she wouldn't understand anything. What's more, if he accused Nomad of being a demon in disguise she would laugh in his face. Her stubborn nature was driving Kiyomaro to the limit. He watched Ureshii until she was out of sight.

"Kiyomaro," Gash muttered, "Let's follow her."

He simply nodded; he knew what he had to do.

Act End.


	16. Act Sixteen

The Most Happy

Act Sixteen

Underneath all her frustration that Kiyomaro had caused her, Ureshii couldn't help but be excited to be with Nomad once again. Inside she was a small schoolgirl, who wanted to squeal out in a giddy tone. She thought this day would never come, the day that she and Nomad would come together as a couple once again. She was sure that from their last meeting that they would forever be parted by their past, but now it was different. But she had to admit, Kiyomaro's strange behavior tugged at her. It had to be jealously, she was sure of it. He was just jealous.

She had left Kiyomaro behind and set off forward, to meet back up with Nomad. It wasn't long before she spotted him sitting down on a small red bench. Without hesitation, she ran to him and took a seat close to him. She looked up toward him, her face as red as it could be. Nomad slowly moved his arm around her in reply of her blush. He moved her closer to him and let out a relaxed sigh.

"Nomad," Ureshii spoke in a gentle tone, "What does this all mean?"

Nomad paused for a moment before answering. He bent down, moving his face closer toward Ureshii. He gave her a cocky smile and gently moved his hand toward her face. She jumped slightly as he touched her face. He cupped her chin in his hands.

"You know the answer to that question." Nomad finally spoke, "You shouldn't ask dumb questions."

Ureshii felt her mouth drop slightly open. Her face became hotter as Nomad moved his face closer to hers.

"You're right…" She mumbled as she gently closed her eyes.

The two stayed quiet for a moment. Ureshii was waiting for her romantic kiss that would end her suffering. The kiss that would give birth to a new day in which the two would stay together forever; but much to her dismay, the kiss wouldn't come. Slightly frustrated with the wait, Ureshii reopened her eyes. She looked up to see Nomad with an uneasy look upon his face. She twitched; he was looking at her wide-eyed. It was as if he had gone crazy, the look was that of an insane man. She slowly backed away for a moment.

"Where are you going?" Nomad's voice had become deep.

He reached out and pulled Ureshii close to him. Her eyes became wide as Nomad's face moved closer and closer to hers. With one swift movement, he grabbed a tight hold on her face. She struggled to break herself free from him. He laughed at her attempt. She could feel his hot breath on her face as he laughed.

"He should be here any moment," Nomad's voice had completely changed; it had become horse and rough.

"What are you talking about?" Ureshii replied in a muffled tone as she threw her head from side to side in a desperate attempt to free herself.

"That boy," He laughed, "I believe you called him Takamine, surely he'll come to save you." Nomad then lifted himself to his feet, dragging her along with him.

"Who…?"

"I hope now you realize that you were nothing but bait," Nomad threw his head back in laughter, "I knew that boy would come looking for you if I disguised myself well enough and took you away from him."

"I…I don't understand…" Ureshii grunted.

Nomad tightened his grip on the girl, "How dumb are you? I'm not your precious boyfriend, I merely stole his image to get to you," He spoke in sinister voice, "And once that boy finds out that you're in trouble he'll come to save you; then I can finally get the battle I've been waiting for!"

"You're…" Ureshii frantically began to scratch at Nomad's hands, trying to pry herself free, "You're lying!" She finally screamed out.

"And you're pathetic," Nomad growled as he carelessly tossed Ureshii to the floor, "You've been too love-struck to notice that I've been spying on you. I saw your sad attempt at patching up your lost love with that boy."

Ureshii's eyes grew wide. That fly, it was a doppelganger, the same doppelganger which stood before her now. She could clearly remember that day, when the huge demon showed up in the park, it was in a fly form. It was the same demon but in a different form.

Ureshii felt utterly helpless. She was in shock. She felt as if the world had collapsed in on itself. She cloud hardly breathe, all seemed lost.

"ZAKER!"

A large flash of light brought Ureshii back into reality. The beam of light struck Nomad without mercy. The beam pushed Nomad back into the park lake. Ureshii watched with wide eyes as the water engulfed Nomad's doppelganger.

"Ureshii!" Kiyomaro sprinted toward the fallen female.

He bent down to her level. His eyes quickly scanned her for any injuries. He was relieved when he saw none. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked her in a gentle tone.

She remained silent. Just then Ne came running to Ureshii. She leapt toward her partner. She then began to softly rub against her, no doubt worried. Ureshii was still in shock and her silence lingered on. Ne chirped at her partner, trying her best to bring Ureshii to her senses.

"Kiyomaro," Gash called out to the older boy, "It's coming back!"

Kiyomaro stood up straight and spun around to face his attacker. In an eerie manner, the doppelganger stood up. Soaking wet, he approached Kiyomaro and Gash. "So, are we going to fight today?" He spoke even more ghostly than he appeared.

Kiyomaro gave his opponent a fierce glare, "Fine, then let's do this." He then looked down at his small partner, "Gash, are you ready?"

Gash nodded enthusiastically. He then positioned himself for the next spell. Kiyomaro inhaled deeply before he flipped open his red book. He ran his index finger over the pages, looking for the next perfect attack.

"You can't fight without a partner," Kiyomaro growled in a low voice.

"Oh, I have my partner here," The demon moved his hand over his shoulder, thumb extended outward.

XoXoX

Kiyomaro glanced toward the directed spot. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the elderly man from the other day step out into the sun. It was apparent that the old man was not satisfied with Kiyomaro's excuses for fighting and had returned with vengeance. This bothered him even more. Because of his excuse, Ureshii had gotten hurt. If had just agreed to battle then none of this would have come into play.

Gash looked up to Kiyomaro and saw the anger in his eyes. Gash questioned his anger for only a moment. A light glow then caught Gash's eye; he looked down to see that his spell book was glowing brightly. Now wasn't the time to ask questions, Gash could tell by the bright glow of the red book that Kiyomaro meant business.

"Gash!" Kiyomaro shouted his name firmly, "Get ready!"

"Right!"

"Oh, but I think you've all ready made your move," The demon grinned devilishly, "Now it's my turn."

The doppelganger sprinted toward Kiyomaro and Gash with incredible speed. Kiyomaro gasped and was only able to take a few short steps back before the demon came face-to-face with him. The demon reached out to grab his spell book. At this Kiyomaro threw the book over his shoulder, trying to keep the doppelganger as far away from his book as possible. Gash watched the book fall to the floor; once on the ground Gash dashed toward his book and threw himself over it.

The doppelganger growled in aggravation and violently pushed him aside, which caused him to fall to the ground. The doppelganger then sprinted toward Gash. The blond let out a squeal at the sight of the enemy demon charging at him. Finally in reach, the doppelganger extended his arm out to grab the book but was surprised when Gash rolled to his left, trying to escape his grasp.

"You little brat!" The demon snapped.

He again charged at Gash, this time anticipating his roll. The demon reached out and grabbed Gash just as he was rolling further to the left. The doppelganger laughed as he plucked the smaller demon up from the ground.

"Now be a good boy and hand over that spell book, I only want to take a peek at it."

"No!" Gash shouted as he bit down on the enemy's hand.

The demon screamed out in pain. Out of anger he slammed Gash to the ground. While his was limp, the demon reached down and released the book from Gash's small hands.

"Gash!" Kiyomaro shouted as he jumped up and ran to Gash's side.

The doppelganger chuckled as he opened the red book and peeked inside. He flipped through the yellow pages. It was as if he was reading the book. But this was impossible; only Kiyomaro could read the spell book. After a few seconds the doppelganger closed the red book and looked down at Kiyomaro. He glared up at the demon as he held Gash in his hands. The doppelganger sighed and carelessly threw the spell book back to Kiyomaro. His eyes widened, he gave the book back; he couldn't believe it.

"Can we get started now?" The demon shook his head in disappointment before looking back to his partner, "Call out the first spell!"

The elderly man smiled, "RORUK!" The words seemed to echo after they left the man's lips.

A bright light began to form around the monster demon. Kiyomaro moved his hands over his eyes, shielding the bright glow. He growled as he did so, now his enemy had called out a spell, he let them make a move. Seconds passed and the bright light dimmed. The doppelganger's image seemed to have disappeared. Kiyomaro's eyes widened, he quickly looked down to see that the demon was still present in the battle. Only, he had changed his form.

No longer in Nomad's image but now in a small copy of Gash; the two were identical. It all came to Kiyomaro in that instant, the doppelganger wanted to read their book to steal their spells and appearance. This was going to be difficult, how could he defeat an enemy who had the same attacks as him and Gash?

"Whoa!" Gash's eyes opened widely, "It's like looking into a mirror!" He then turned to his partner, "How are we going to-"

"ZAKER!"

In the midst of their conversation, Kiyomaro and Gash were interrupted by the opponent's fire. The two boys jumped to the side without hesitation. They successfully dodged the enemies' attack. After regaining his stance, Kiyomaro reopened his red book.

"Fine, let's get this over with then!" He snarled.

"This is going be hard for me," Gash's doppelganger spoke with a chilling tone, "Using such _weak_ attacks to fight with."

"ZAKER!" Kiyomaro fired back quickly; it was smart to end this battle as soon as possible.

Gash's doppelganger was quick to dodge the attack. He ran with incredible speed to the left. Kiyomaro could barely keep up with the enemy; it was almost as if the demon's feet weren't even touching the ground. He had to use a counter attack, it was the only way he could stop the doppelganger from running. He moved his index and middle finger outward to point at the enemy; he then repeatedly called out his 'Zaker' attack.

The blasts caused a large amount of smoke to come up from the ground, briefly hiding the doppelganger from Kiyomaro and Gash. The two boys nervously waited for the smoke to clear but before the smoke could clear Gash's stolen image came running out from the smoke. He ran right up to Kiyomaro and before Kiyomaro had the chance to move, the demon reached out and slapped the book from his hands, leaving the two boys defenseless.

"ZAKER!" The elderly man smiled at their failed attempts.

A bright electric glow charged within the demon's mouth. Kiyomaro and Gash were in trouble, at the distance the doppelganger was standing, the two would be seriously damaged. Kiyomaro knew he had no chance of calling out 'Rashield' without his book in hand. All the two could do was take the attack head on. The two flinched.

"MA BARRIER!"

Kiyomaro paused that voice, it was familiar. He opened his eyes and there standing before him was Ureshii. By her side stood Ne, her arms extended forward. This was the first time he had heard Ureshii call out an attack in battle. It became obvious that the attack was a defensive spell. Kiyomaro looked up to see a barrier firmly circled around them. It was a bright shade of pink and surrounded every inch of them.

"Ne!" Gash exclaimed with glee.

She looked over her should and gave Gash a confident smile. The two boys had to sigh, they were relieved.

"Don't lose focus, Ne!" Ureshii snapped in warning.

Hearing her shout, Ne became nervous and dropped her shield. Ureshii cursed and glared down at her partner. Kiyomaro twitched, it was a weak shield.

"_Ne's attacks are very weak if she uses one at a time."_

The doppelganger wasn't pleased with Ureshii's display. He growled with frustration. He gripped his fists and charged at Ne. The small girl let out a squeal as Gash's doppelganger slammed into her, sending her flying. Ureshii gasped and ran after her tiny partner. Ureshii reached down and wrapped her arms around her partner, trying to bring her back to reality.

"How dare you interfere with my great battle!" The demon snarled, "Now," He looked back at his elderly partner, "Call another attack!"

"ZAKER!" The man pointed toward Ureshii and her fallen partner.

Kiyomaro's eyes widened, they were going to get hit with an attack. There was no way he could use 'Rashield' in time. All Kiyomaro could do was hope that Ureshii and Ne could pull through the attack.

The giant electric attack hit the two girls with great force. Ureshii screamed out in pain and fell forward. Ne lay unconscious beneath Ureshii. The two girls were out.

"Ne! Ureshii!" Gash called out to them.

Gash closed his eyes tightly, his anger was building quickly. He gripped his fists and gritted his teeth. Kiyomaro watched as Gash became more and more angry. He knew this was the best time to get rid of the doppelganger, when Gash was at his angriest. He had to think up a plan and quickly. Kiyomaro looked around at his surrounds trying to find inspiration for a plan. It was then that his eyes landed on a small near by water fountain; then an idea dawned on him.

"Gash," Kiyomaro whispered, "Whatever you do, just follow me, okay?"

Gash looked back at his partner with confusion. He nodded, now wasn't the time to disobey Kiyomaro's orders. He smiled at the blond, trying to let him know that everything would be okay.

Kiyomaro then looked back up at the enemy and smirked. He took a deep breath and ran to the left; it appeared as if they were fleeing the scene. "Hey!" The doppelganger growled, following Kiyomaro and Gash.

Kiyomaro silently cheered to himself, the plan was working. He continued with his sprint and ran toward the park's water fountain. Just as planned, the doppelganger ran faster than them and appeared in front of the two, standing a few inches in front of the fountain. He had the demon just where he wanted him.

"JIKERDOR!" Kiyomaro screamed out, moving his index finger forward to direct the attack at the doppelganger.

The doppelganger gasped loudly as his body slammed against the water fountain. He had become attached to the fountain. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move away from the fountain. His elderly partner gasped in horror, he didn't want to lose. In a state of panic, he dropped his guard.

Kiyomaro ran toward the man and reached out and just as the doppelganger had done to them before, Kiyomaro reached out and slapped the book from the elderly man's hands. The man shook with fear; he looked back and forth for help as if it would come. His whole body began to quiver. He looked into Kiyomaro's eyes and began to back away from the young male.

"No," His voice was shaky, "I can't do this, I-I can't lose!" With panic written all over his face, the elderly man ran away from the battle leaving his doppelganger demon to fend for himself.

"Get back here, coward!" Gash's doppelganger shouted in despair.

"Looks like your partner got the battle he wanted," Kiyomaro grumbled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hurry…and get rid of that thing…"

Kiyomaro's ears twitched to the sound of Ureshii's voice. He turned around to see the older female standing behind him. She stood limply, she was hurt. She held her back with one hand as she slowly made her way toward Kiyomaro.

"Ureshii," Kiyomaro looked longingly at Ureshii, "Do you want…do you want to burn this one?"

She paused for a moment then looked away from them. Her eyes moved toward the book, it was all a lie. Her eyes began to fill up with tears. Gash and Kiyomaro both gasped at the sight. Kiyomaro moved his arm outward as if to say something, but nothing came. Ureshii fell to the floor and shook her head.

"I can't…I just can't do it," She sobbed in a soft tone, "It's like saying 'the end'…"

Kiyomaro looked up to see that Ne had too gotten her footing. He watched as the younger partner walked toward the older female and waited with her. Their answer was clear enough for him; he knew what he had to do. He moved his head down and sighed.

"Zaker!"

The book caught fire instantly. The doppelganger cried out; he cried for help. But no one could save him now. He began transparent and began his departure back to the demon world. Just as the last bit of the spell book burned away, Ureshii lowered her head and began to cry louder.

Kiyomaro looked away. Ureshii let the tears fall, she wasn't holding back anymore. She moved over and let the tears hit the ground. No words could form; she couldn't curse or even explain why the tears came so quickly. Although it was apparent to him why she cried so; he gripped his fists, he couldn't find any comforting words to say. All he could to was watch helplessly.

Act End.


	17. Act Seventeen

The Most Happy

Act Seventeen

Gash couldn't be having a better time; the day had given him wonderful weather to play in and Naomi hadn't hurt him yet that day. But couldn't help but feel bothered by Kiyomaro tardiness. Gash innocently slid down the park's slide. Once at the bottom, he looked toward the sky and let out a small sigh.

Something had to be bothering Kiyomaro, for the past week he had been awkwardly quiet. He could sense something was wrong, he wasn't stupid. This made him feel even worse, was Kiyomaro keeping something from him? If so, why, they were partners…weren't they? He let out a grumble as he stood to his feet and looked about for Kiyomaro. Nothing yet.

"Kiyomaro…" He spoke softly to himself.

Just then a sweet melody entered Gash's ears. He was quick to perk up. The gentle voice played softly as it echoed through the park. Gash looked to his left, where the small voice originated. In an instant his curiosity set in, he was now intent on finding the face who matched the voice. With a grin on his face, Gash ran toward the sound.

XoXoX

The sun hung heavy in the sky; the heat stung the ground and left the air humid. It was bright out, a perfect day for playing in the park. How Kiyomaro loved these days, of course this was a secret love, which he never revealed to Gash. He couldn't let on his feelings to the small impressionable boy.

The school day had just come to an end and Kiyomaro was slowly making his way toward the park to pick up Gash. He walked down the street with a quiet exterior but deep within his mind, His mind was racing with questions and thoughts. The school play was nearing. The stress of battling other demon was bad enough but with his social status hanging in the balance he wasn't sure how he was going to act in this play.

Inside, he hated the fact that he was picked for the lead role. He hated how he had to 'deal' with it and just agree with the fact that he had been chosen. He wanted nothing more than to back out and run as far away from the school theater as he could. But now everyone was counting on him, he couldn't let his friends down; after all, they had all worked on the play together. Especially Suzume, she had put her heart and soul into painting the sets, he hated the thought of Suzume being disappointed.

He needed someone to talk to about his stresses. Kiyomaro wanted to rant about everything he could but he felt as if no one were listening. The idea of venting to Gash ran through his head more than once but he felt that Gash didn't deserve to face the same stresses as he currently was. So he kept to himself. With a great inhalation of air, Kiyomaro continued with his walk to the park.

"Where is he?" Kiyomaro mumbled as he scratched his chin.

Gash hadn't been in their proper meeting place as he always had. Of course, he was quick to panic internally. Kiyomaro lowered his hand from his chin and bit down lightly on his lip. He let out a small moan and shook his head. Then a small echoing voice caught Kiyomaro's attention. He looked to his left, someone was singing and it was attracting a small group of children.

"I wonder…" He spoke again, "If Gash is over there."

Without another word Kiyomaro walked toward the crowd to see a small girl singing. She had very short brunette colored hair which lightly dangled over her cheeks. He was a bit taken back by her clothing; she was sporting name brand clothing.

Her voice wasn't the sweetest Kiyomaro had ever heard; her pitch on high notes needed work. He valued her efforts and smiled toward the singing girl. Just then he noticed a large man standing by the girl's side; his arm was extended outward and gripping a hat in his large hand, waiting change for the show.

He had to be six foot. Kiyomaro gawked at the man's size and opened his mouth wide as he looked upward to get a glance at the man's face. The man's eyes gave him a lazy feeling. He had very short, gray hair which could barely cover his head. Compared to the small girl's clothing, the man's clothes were rags.

"Kiyomaro!"

He jumped to the sound of Gash's voice. He looked downward to see that his hunch had been right. Kiyomaro smiled and shook his head; it was so like Gash to get distracted so easily. He was relieved to find the blond in any event.

"I like her voice!" Gash replied with a cute grin.

"Oh?" Kiyomaro blinked as he turned back to the girl, "With practice, she could get really good."

"Uh-huh!" Gash nodded his head enthusiastically.

Kiyomaro looked back at the large man, who still stood loyally beside the girl. His eyes then lowered to look inside the hat; a few coins had been donated. Feeling somewhat guilty for the lack of donations, He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a coin. With a hint of hesitance, Kiyomaro stepped toward the large man and dropped the coin into the hat. He was taken back when the large man refused to even smile back at him. He then felt a small tug on his pant leg, it was Gash.

"I want to donate too, Kiyomaro." He spoke so innocently.

"All right," Kiyomaro again reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin.

Gash was handed the coin and full of excitement, he ran up to the man and flipped the coin into the hat. Gash couldn't be any prouder of himself, he had donated to what he believed was the 'needy'.

"There you go!" The demon said after backing away from the larger man.

"Thank you!"

Gash's ears twitched to the sound of a small female voice. He turned to see that the female who was singing a moment ago was now addressing him. Gash rushed to her side and gave her a wide grin. Kiyomaro was surprised; the female was only a few inches taller than Gash. She couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old. Kiyomaro stepped toward Gash and the girl and decided to observe.

"We really appreciate the donations." The girl spoke to Gash in a soft tone.

"No problem," He shook his head from left to right. "My name is Gash Bell! What's yours?"

"Oh, my name is Sal." The female darted forward and bowed in front of Gash. "And this is Bison." Sal pointed over her shoulder toward the large man standing behind her.

"Hello Bison!" He lifted one and up to the large man and waved. "This is Kiyomaro," He rushed to his partner's side and grabbed him by one arm.

"Hello Gash," Sal's eyes then moved to Kiyomaro. "Kiyomaro."

"I haven't seen you around here," Kiyomaro said to Sal with a cocked eyebrow. "Are you new in town?"

"So?" Sal snorted, throwing both fists on her hips. "What's wrong with that?"

Surprised, he jumped backward and threw both hands up into the air. "Sorry! I've just never seen you around and I think I'd remember a face like _that_." Kiyomaro's eyes darted up and landed on Bison.

He focused in on Bison's forehead. Strange, he hadn't noticed _that_ before. At the top of Bison's wide forehead lay two stumps, one on either side of his head. The stumps on his head resembled shaved horns. It was if this man once bore horns on his head. This was odd, very odd. Kiyomaro brought his hand to his chin and thought for a moment, why did this moment feel familiar? Deja vu perhaps? After a moment or two of deep thought it came to him. Ne, Hobbes and Aurora. The three shared similar animal-like traits; perhaps Bison was one of them?

A shocked expression spread across his face. That was it! Bison _had_ to be part of Ne's missing family. Kiyomaro pulled his hand away from his face and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could utter a word, a black flash passed by his legs.

The wind caused both Kiyomaro and Gash to fall backward on their behinds. The black object then made a mad dash for Sal and Bison. Kiyomaro blinked in an effort to clear his vision. He then saw a small boy's figure standing below Bison. The small boy jumped up at Bison and grabbed the cup from his hands. He felt his mouth drop open as he watched the small boy take off with Sal's donation cup. The male then rushed for the park's exit.

Kiyomaro's brows lowered on his forehead in anger. There was no way this child would take away Sal and Bison's earnings. He jumped to his feet and looked down to see Gash had done the same. Gash looked at Kiyomaro and nodded his head as an indication that they both had the same idea in mind. Just before he broke into a sprint, a very large shadow flashed over him. Kiyomaro looked up to see that Bison had all ready begun chasing after the thief. A small pitter-patter of feet trailed behind Bison, Sal was right behind her larger counterpart. After seeing the couple take off, Kiyomaro began his own chase. Gash hesitated for a moment, shocked at current situation, before taking off as well.

"We have to stop him!" Gash shouted to his older partner.

He could only nod to agree. He was so focused on running; he couldn't find the time to verbally respond to the blond. He picked up his speed after his eyes landed on Sal and Bison not far ahead. He had to catch up to that thief. Kiyomaro looked over at his shoulder for a moment to see Gash trying his best to keep up with the running trio.

Kiyomaro let out a grunt; at this rate they'd never catch the thief! He reached outward and grabbed Gash by the arm; he then began to drag him along as he sprinted forward. Gash let out a loud whine as he drug him through the dirt. The tops of his feet dug into the dirt, causing dust to float up into the air.

Kiyomaro made one final push forward before finding himself passing Sal and Bison. Yes! This was the moment he was pushing toward, the moment he would stop the thief in his tracks. He extended his arm outward in his best attempt to grab a hold of the young boy. Just before his fingertips touched the young boy's back, a loud shout caught Kiyomaro off guard.

"TERRAOUS!"

Kiyomaro's whole body came to a crashing halt. Was that a _spell_? He turned to look over his shoulder to see Bison with both of his large clenched fists facing the ground. The large man then slammed his fists on the cement. It was as if a crashing wave vibrated through the ground and caused the whole street to shake and rumble. It felt as if it was an Earthquake shook the whole ground and caused the two boys to once again fall to their feet.

Kiyomaro turned to see the thieving boy in front of him on the ground as well. The cup had flown into the air and the change in the cup exploded on the ground around him. The shaking momentarily stopped and Bison again made a dash toward the boy.

As Bison stood, looming over the boy he reached out to grab him. The boy turned to Bison with wide eyes. He let out a loud whimper before jumping to his feet and taking off. Bison grunted before straightening out his back to stand up.

"Great!" Sal snapped, her hands to her hips. "Now all the change is all over the floor!"

Bison turned to face Sal, "Sorry."

"Well, you better pick it up!" She pointed toward the ground.

Without a word, Bison turned back around and began to pluck the coins from the dirt. As the large man began to pick up the change Kiyomaro pulled himself up off the floor. He waited for a moment before looking at Sal. The short female stood with both arms crossed over her chest. She sported a much pouted lip as well. Kiyomaro narrowed his eyes to see that the female was holding a book in her arms. The book was a very bright shade of purple and had familiar markings on the cover. She was a bookholder, just as he expected.

"You!" Kiyomaro pointed at Sal. "You're a bookholder!"

"Yeah?" Sal cocked a brow before moving her hand in front of her face. "Impressed?" She then began to let out a loud laugh.

"Wow!" Gash gathered himself and stood up beside his partner. "That was COOL!"

"It was not!" Kiyomaro barked at Gash.

"Here you go," Bison brushed pass Kiyomaro and Gash and stepped over to his partner and handed her the small cup.

"Very good." A smile appeared on Sal's face as she took the cup from Bison's hand. "Look's like we're closer to our goal!"

"What kind of goal is that?" Gash leaned in toward Sal and looked down into the contents of the cup.

"_Well_," Sal smirked at Gash and rested her shoulder against his. "Bison and I are trying to build him a little house in my backyard."

"Isn't he allowed in your house?" Gash cocked his head to one side.

"Of course not!" Sal threw her empty hand over her chest and began to laugh.

"What? Why not?" Kiyomaro asked.

"_Excuse me_, but I wasn't talking to you!" Sal snapped at him before returning her affectionate stare to Gash. "I like my space." She purred in Gash's ear causing the blond boy to blush.

"We can see that." A blank expression caused Kiyomaro to close his eyes.

After a loud sigh, Kiyomaro reopened his eyes to see Sal and Gash still standing close together, _too_ close that is. He lifted a brow, what an odd girl. She wore the most expensive brand of clothing while her demon partner wore rags. It was clear to him that this young female was 'well off' and yet her partner wore dirty clothes? Strange. It was about time him investigate further into this situation, after all Bison may be one of Ne's missing family members. Kiyomaro passed by Gash and Sal and stood in front of Bison. He had to admit to himself, it was intimidating standing beside such a large man. It was now or never, time to ask him.

"Bison," Kiyomaro began speaking in a firm tone. "Do you know a demon named Ne? She's looking for her family and-"

Before Kiyomaro could finish speaking, the large Bison reached down with two open hands and lifted him off the floor. His arms were glued to his sides, as he was elevated off the ground. Kiyomaro let out a gasp and looked down at the floor below him. What was going on?

"Ne? Did you say Ne?" Bison asked the boy genius, lifting him higher into the air.

"Yes…" Beads of sweat dribbled down Kiyomaro's face.

"Really? You found her?" Sal detached herself from Gash and rushed to her partner's side. "We've been looking everywhere for her!"

"We found Aurora too," Gash poked his head in between Sal and Bison. "And we know where Hobbes is."

"Wow!" Sal slapped her hands on her chubby cheeks. "Are they here? In this town?"

"Matter a fact," Kiyomaro looked down to Sal. "They are."

"That's great!" She squeaked with delight. "Gash, where are they right now?"

Gash paused for a moment before looking to his partner. "Um," Kiyomaro hesitated as he looked back to Bison. "I know they're phone number, I could call them." He then chuckled. "That is if you decide to put me down."

"Bison, down!" Sal was quick with her command.

With one nod of his head, Bison lowered Kiyomaro to the ground. He lifted his right hand to his forehead and wiped away any excess sweat. That was quite the experience. Kiyomaro then lowered his arm and began to fix his dress shirt and pants. Afterward he looked to see Sal with both hands attached to her hips. She was sporting an attitude; something he could assume was normal.

"Come to my house," Sal demanded. "You can call Ne from there."

"All right…" Kiyomaro lifted his hand to the side of his head and scratched.

Without another word, Sal turned away from the group. She then began to walk down the street. No command given, Bison followed after his small partner. Kiyomaro and Gash looked at one another for a moment, both shrugging their shoulders. They then began to follow after Bison and Sal. Assuming that this was the way to Sal's home, Kiyomaro followed. It crossed the brunette's mind: what was with the sudden urge to find Ne? Kiyomaro could understand why family was important but this was strange. Asking to see Ne so quickly was out of the ordinary. He had to shrug it off.

A few long minutes passed the group of four by until they reached a street lined with houses. The houses that littered the street were large in size. They towered over any ordinary homes, and stood with fancy décor in the front yard. This had to be a wealthy part of town. This proved it for Kiyomaro, Sal's family was wealthy and yet Bison wore rags?

Sal came to a stop in front of a large brightly-colored home. Kiyomaro and Gash gawked at the size of the house; it had to be three-stories at least. Without uttering a single word, Sal walked up to the house and skipped up the small flight of porch stairs. Before opening the front door, Sal turned to face Bison. She extended her index finger to the bottom step and shot a glare at her partner. Bison nodded and stayed at the bottom step, taking a seat on the ground. Sal looked back at Kiyomaro and Gash and beckoned them into her home. Kiyomaro blinked in confusion and stared at Bison as he passed by him. Strange, Bison wasn't allowed in Sal's home?

"The phone is over there," Sal spoke to the two as she entered her large home.

Kiyomaro and Gash peeked inside the home before stepping foot in. The home was overflowing with delicate glass items. Vases, small statues and framed artwork covered almost every inch of the home. These items _had_ to be expensive. Kiyomaro resisted the urge to touch anything in fear that he might damage it. The clean white carpets longed to be stained and caused him to feel self-conscious.

Kiyomaro turned to see a phone sitting on a kitchen countertop. He approached the phone and reached out to touch the device. He had to hesitate for a moment, what if he broke something? What if he tripped and ruined the good carpet? He took in a deep breath of air and picked the phone up.

He began to dial Ureshii's home phone number, feeling a bit nervous. He hadn't spoken with Ureshii since the day she fought the doppelganger, perhaps she was still upset? True she hadn't shown up for school that day… Kiyomaro waited in silence as the ringing entered his end. It continued for a few moments until Kiyomaro heard Ureshii's answering machine. Crap, she wasn't home. He lowered the phone and placed it back into its cradle. Hm, what was he going to do now? Kiyomaro returned to Sal and Gash empty-handed.

"She wasn't home." He said in a simple voice. "I can try her again tomorrow."

Sal rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Um, Sal?" Gash looked at the short female with question. "Why can't Bison come inside?"

"He isn't allowed." Sal answered, causing both boys to look at her with shock. "Whenever Bison comes inside he bumps into something or tracks in mud. So he has to stay outside. He's such a pig."

"Sal?" Kiyomaro called to the girl.

"What?"

"What's the rush with seeing Ne?" He asked.

"Bison and the others are worried about her," Sal crossed her arms over her tiny chest and sighed. "Apparently she's the baby of the family and they're worried about her."

He nodded his head. "I shouldn't take up anymore of your time. Gash and I are going to head home now." Kiyomaro then stepped toward his smaller partner and placed one hand on his shoulder. "As soon as I can, I'll bring Ne to you, all right?"

"Whatever." Sal shrugged her shoulders and turned away.

Kiyomaro nodded his head once again. This was great, now he had some information on Ne. This was crucial for his mission. It appeared as if Sal wasn't so approving of his presence so he had an effort to make a hasty exit. He tugged Gash along by his side, trying his best to leave the home the way it was before he and his partner entered. There was no need for any excess drama. Right now it was important for Kiyomaro to introduce Ureshii and Ne to Sal and Bison. Perhaps this would help get the group one step closer to their goal. Perhaps this was one way the group could become one step closer to socializing Ureshii. This was something Kiyomaro couldn't give up on, this mission he was going to see through to the end.

Act End.


	18. Act Eighteen

The Most Happy

Act Eighteen

First period. He grunted, how he despised morning classes. Although today Kiyomaro found a very good reason to go to class, today he would tell Ureshii about Sal and Bison. The excitement was burning hot inside his chest it was hard for him to contain his emotions. This was just too important to keep hidden!

Kiyomaro peered over his shoulder to see Ureshii. She had finally shown up for school and today couldn't be more perfect. He gripped down on his pencil and bit his lower lip. Perhaps he should slip her a note? Kiyomaro pondered for a moment before ripping out a single sheet of binder paper. He began to jolt down a small note on the ripped paper. He crumbled the paper in his hands and turned around to see Ureshii working on something. Kiyomaro jolted around to see Mr. Rin scribbling on the blackboard. Perfect timing!

While the teacher's back was turned, Kiyomaro turned around once again and tossed the crumbled paper in Ureshii's direction. The wad of paper flew across the classroom and caused nearby students to look up and giggle. The ball then flew at Ureshii, finally landing on her forehead. The ball bounced from her forehead to the desk below her. She growled and jerked her head upward to see the menace behind the prank.

Ureshii's eyes darted up to see Kiyomaro turned around in his desk. Kiyomaro made a few hand gestures to Ureshii in an effort to get her to read the note. Not taking the hint, Ureshii growled and tore up the ball of paper into tiny pieces. His smile turned into a frown at the moment. Ureshii then moved her arm backward; her fist balled, and hurled her arm forward. A small object flew in Kiyomaro's direction at a fast rate. The square object then slapped Kiyomaro right between the eyes. He let out a grunt and flinched just as the item fell from his face on to his open palm.

Kiyomaro blinked a few times before looking at the item. He moved his face in closer to see the small object was a half-used eraser. The small used office supply was bright pink and had hearts printed on it. But strangest of all, Kiyomaro could smell something coming from the eraser. He lifted the eraser to his face and began to take a few whiffs. A scented eraser? Kiyomaro couldn't name the smell the eraser was _supposed_ to have, but he could smell the strong odor of artificial, chemical _something_. Kiyomaro pulled back his face and curled up his lip.

"And that's tonight's homework, class!"

Kiyomaro was jerked out of his thought at the sound of the school bell ringing. He groaned he was surely going to get a 'talking to' once Ureshii passed him. Kiyomaro began to put his things away in his school case and waited for Ureshii to walk up to him. As if on cue, she walked up to Kiyomaro with an unpleasant look on her face. She was nearly hissing by the time she got to Kiyomaro.

"I want my eraser back." She snarled as she moved her open palm out to him.

"Fine take it." Kiyomaro dropped the small pink eraser into her hand. "It stinks anyway."

Ureshii closed her palm quickly, trapping the eraser in her hand. "What's your problem today, Takamine? It isn't everyday you go throwing things at me."

Kiyomaro sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, if you had read the note I sent you, then you would know why. Instead you decided to tear it up." He then lifted himself up from his seat and look Ureshii straight in the eye. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Gash and I found one of Ne's missing family members yesterday." He spoke with urgency and looked Ureshii straight in the eyes.

"What?" She reached her arms outward and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "Where?" She then began to drag his face closer to her own.

"Calm down!" Kiyomaro snapped, his body nearly pulled from behind his desk. "I _tried_ to call you yesterday but you didn't answer!"

"Are you saying this is _my_ fault?" Ureshii growled as her hot breath hit his face.

"So are you two practicing the kissing scene?"

The couple felt their hair stand on end as Mr. Rin approached them. Ureshii and Kiyomaro turned right to see their teacher standing before them with a wide smile on his face. In his hands was a stack of brightly colored flyers that caught his attention. After hearing their teacher's comment, Ureshii dropped him, letting his abdomen hit the desk beneath him.

"It's a little soon for that, isn't it Mr. Rin?" Kiyomaro coughed as he straightened his back.

"Oh is it?" Mr. Rin brought his index finger to his nose and pushed up his glasses. "The play is in two weeks, Takamine."

"TWO WEEKS?" Kiyomaro's jaw nearly touched the floor as he stared at his teacher with wide eyes.

"Yes," Mr. Rin then brought the bundle of flyers to eye-level. "I was about to go around passing out these flyers just now."

"But we _just_ picked out our cast like two days ago!" Kiyomaro's shoulders drooped forward.

"Yes, but as I remember this play is only going to be an hour and half long. There isn't much to memorize." Mr. Rin frowned at him. "Suzume has finished all the stage work all ready."

"Really?" He blinked in surprise.

"Yes," Mr. Rin nodded his head. "She really worked hard. The stage backgrounds are stunning. You should stop by when you have a chance and look at them."

Kiyomaro brought his hand to his chin and cupped it. Suzume has all ready finished the stages? She must have worked overtime to finish them, this impressed him. Come to think of it, He hadn't heard from Suzume in a few days, could this be the reason why? The image of Suzume with paint splashed all over her face flashed in his mind and he had to giggle. He could only assume the stage sets were beautiful.

"Well, I'll let you to continue," Mr. Rin turned away from the couple and chuckled, "See you two later."

The older man then stepped out of the classroom, leaving Ureshii and Kiyomaro to themselves. He groaned, how was this going to work? How was he going to solve Ureshii's problems while studying for this play at the same time? It just seemed like too much. Not to mention the risk of a random demon battle. He could never let his guard down, not even when he was studying.

The fact that Ureshii was thee most difficult female in the school made her the last person he wanted to study with. Practicing with Ureshii-the-ogre was last on his priority list. And yet, Ureshii was the person he had to study with _the most_. After all, she was Juliet and he was Romeo.

"Takamine," Ureshii's deep voice snapped Kiyomaro out of his thoughts. "What about finding one of Ne's family members? Where are they?"

Kiyomaro felt his hand slap his own cheek. "Yeah, I have their phone number don't worry about that."

"Good," Ureshii nodded her head once. "You get them to meet Mikoto and I in the park after school."

Kiyomaro groaned, "_Fine_." Kiyomaro found himself hearing the impossible; Ureshii was going to meet _with_ Mikoto in the park? "What?" He looked up at the older female standing beside him. "Since when did you want to involve Mikoto?"

Ureshii shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes. "This isn't about me and Mikoto. It's about Ne and her family."

"Right." Kiyomaro felt his eyes roll. "I'll get the two I found yesterday and meet you four in the park."

Ureshii nodded her head again and began to step forward. "See ya," She said without a single glance backward.

Ureshii then stepped out of sight. Kiyomaro opened his mouth and lifted his hand outward to stop her. The attempt failed and caused Kiyomaro to again groan. Great, there went his chance at practicing for the play. Kiyomaro sighed before falling back into his seat. What was he going to do with Ureshii? She was so stubborn _and_ flaky. All he could do now was prepare for the meeting after school. It was lucky for him that Sal had given him her home phone number after yesterday's events.

The idea of meeting with the three girls hit Kiyomaro hard. Ureshii, Mikoto and Sal together in one area? Why was he suddenly feeling nervous? True all three females had their own calm personalities but combining them could prove disastrous. Ugh, the mental picture of the three girls together caused his stomach to turn upside down. Only time would tell how the three would take to one another. Today was going to be one long day.

XoXoX

"She should be here soon." Kiyomaro looked down to his wrist to check the current time.

"Oh? I hope they all show up soon!" Gash skipped beside his partner with a wide smile on his face.

"Good thing Sal gave me her phone number yesterday." Kiyomaro whispered to himself, removing his eyes from his watch and to the road ahead of him.

Gash nodded to agree. This was Gash's ideal situation, helping out a friend in need. This was it, helping Ne find her family members was better than anything he could have planned for himself. They had found three members of Ne's family so far and they could hardly believe his luck. All three members had been found within the city, what could be better? Only two demons remained on his list.

Before he realized it, the two were standing in the middle of the park; the meeting spot for the group. Kiyomaro had to pause for a moment and look out at the park seats. It only had been a few days since the incident between Ureshii and the doppelganger demon took place. In a way it felt as if that incident had taken place weeks, maybe months ago. But the incident was still fresh. Images of Ureshii's sobbing flashed in Kiyomaro's mind.

How strange, he could never imagine seeing _Ureshii_ cry and yet he seen it with his own two eyes. The tears that streamed down her face were real, yet it seemed so unreal. He had to shrug off the incident, that was then and this was now. What mattered now was taking care of the situation at hand.

Kiyomaro looked left then right before he spotted four figures nearing him. He narrowed his eyes in their direction before it became clear to him: it was Ureshii and Mikoto. Their demon partners at their sides. Gash opened his mouth wide and ran toward the group of four. His arms spread open wide, he ran toward Ne. Ne returned to the gesture and opened her arms, ready to receive her hug. The two small demons embraced as usual and giggled amongst each other.

"So where are they?" Ureshii hissed at Kiyomaro.

"Like I should know!" He turned to the taller female and shook his fist. "They said they'd be here and they will. Give me a break." He then folded his arms over his broad chest and sighed. "I _did_ do all the work for you."

"No one asked you to help." Ureshii narrowed her eyes at the male standing in front of her.

"Let's not start off the day fighting." Mikoto interrupted the fight by placing her body between Ureshii and Kiyomaro.

"Which one did you find?" Aurora spoke in his calm voice, his stare glued on Kiyomaro.

"His name was Bison." Gash chirped before poking his head in with Mikoto.

"Oh!" Ne clapped both pale hands together and smiled.

"And what about the partner?" Ureshii broke her glare from Kiyomaro by shutting her eyes. "Will we be expecting another incident like Hobbes?"

"Of course not!" Kiyomaro lifted his fist toward Ureshii. "I wouldn't have called you all here if that was the situation!"

Ureshii curled her lip at Kiyomaro's reaction and gripped both of her fists. It was clear the day wouldn't be easy to sail through. Perhaps this was the wrong idea? Kiyomaro was now finding himself with some regret. What did he have to do to get some thanks around Ureshii? He felt his frustration level grow; this _was_ going to be a long day.

"OI!"

A small voice rang through the spring air and entered Kiyomaro's ears. That voice, it was Sal! Kiyomaro quickly whirled around to see if his ears heard right. Off in the distance a large-bodied figure approached the group. As the image became clearer to Kiyomaro, a smile widened across his face it was Sal and Bison. Bison trotted down the park sidewalk with Sal seated on his shoulders.

Ne and Aurora were quick to react to Bison and let out happy gasps. Ne was first to rush forward and opened her arms out wide. Bison lifted his arms over his head and lowered Sal to the ground. He then knelt on a single knee and opened his arms for Ne. The tiny cat demon launched herself from the dirt and leaped into Bison's large arms. The giant-sized man then hugged the tiny female in his arms. Aurora was second to approach the large demon, a smile written on his face.

"Bison." Aurora watched as Bison released Ne from his arms.

"Aurora." Bison straightened out his back and offered his large hand to the smaller male demon.

"It's nice to see you guys again!" Gash rushed toward Sal with a happy grin on his face.

"It's _sooo_ nice to see you too." Sal leaned in toward Gash and took him by his left arm. "It's been _too_ long, Gash." She then rubbed her body against his arm and purred.

"It's been twenty-four hours." Kiyomaro gave Sal a blank look.

"Quiet you!" Sal snapped at him. "Now Gash, how have you been?" She turned to Gash and spoke in her sweetest voice.

"We brought Ne and Aurora with us!" Gash explained, "Ureshii and Mikoto are their partners. Ureshii and Mikoto, meet Sal."

"Hello there." Mikoto stepped toward Sal and offered her delicate hand for shaking.

Sal took hold of Mikoto's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you." She then turned to see a very unhappy Ureshii. "Hello to you too." She said with a curl of her upper lip.

"I'm not here to play games," Ureshii crossed her arms over her bust and snorted. "I don't want to sit here and watch you all get acquainted, I'm here on a mission."

"Who's playing games?" Sal turned up her nose at Ureshii and laughed. "Besides what's so important that you need to be so serious?"

Ureshii's brow twitched at Sal's childish attitude. "You may not know but your own family member is out on a book-burning rampage." Her voice became dark and serious, catching Kiyomaro off guard.

"You mean Hobbes?" Sal cocked a brow and grinned at Ureshii.

"How did you know?" Ne lifted her balled fists to her chin.

"We," Bison's deep voiced caused the teens to turn in his direction. "Ran in to Hobbes. We battled him."

"And you're still standing. _Impressive_." Ureshii closed her eyes and chuckled.

"Hey!" Sal released her grip from Gash and walked up to Ureshii. "What's with the sarcasm?" She then reached over and grabbed Ureshii's jacket sleeve. "You got somethin' to say about my fighting skills?"

Ureshii reached down and pushed the young female away with one flick of her wrist. "Because you ran in to Hobbes, I'm guessing he told you about his plot to become King?"

Kiyomaro narrowed in, his ears open wide for listening. Hobbes wanted to become King? Well, it wasn't too outrageous for young demon in this competition but _still_, something was amiss. Ureshii and Ne had informed him and Gash that Hobbes was different. Hobbes wanted something more than just to become King. He was up to something. This caused a knot to ball up inside his gut.

"Of course," Sal opened her mouth wide and yawned.

"We fought Hobbes," Bison interrupted his partner and stepped in front of her. "And nothing came out of it. We ended it in a draw." Bison then looked to the ground. "But we did come across something important."

"Like what?" Mikoto's sweet voice entered the air.

"It seems Hobbes is planning something big." Bison explained, his lazy eyes landing on each teen then each demon. "Hobbes is planning on attacking a large crowd in two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Kiyomaro's mouth dropped open.

"_The play is in two weeks."_

"The play!" Kiyomaro's head darted in Ureshii and Mikoto's direction. "He's planning on attacking the audience at the play."

"Not to mention all the staff and actors." Mikoto added with a worried tone.

"He told us that he wanted to attack a large group of humans," Bison narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "He wanted to kill as many humans as he can." His eyes then landed on Kiyomaro. "He told us this because he wanted Sal and I to help him. We can't let him do this."

"This is awful!" Gash squeaked aloud, both fists clenched with anger. "He can't hurt that many people. Kiyomaro!" Gash swirled around to look at his human partner, "Your mom is going to be there!"

"Crap…" Kiyomaro grunted before looking to the floor. "We have to do something."

"Whatever we plan on doing," Bison reached forward and placed his hand on Kiyomaro's shoulder. "We're behind you all the way."

Act End.


	19. Act Nineteen

The Most Happy

Act Nineteen

The last two weeks had passed faster than Kiyomaro had expected. In the days passed, Kiyomaro and Gash spent their time training, training _hard._ Kiyomaro couldn't let one day pass without some kind of training. It was necessary for upcoming fight with Hobbes, a demon that he had never seen before. Since when did a demon strike so much fear in Kiyomaro's heart? Since when did the likes of an evil demon rule his life? This was something he would not stand for. There was no way that he would let this demon control his every emotion and thought. So he had to prepare.

Although his training sessions were often cut short due to his meetings with Ureshii and Mikoto, the three were often studying their lines with one another. True, the play was less important then their fated battle but it was crucial to learn their lines. They had to continue with the school play; in this way the audience would be distracted from Hobbes' plot.

Kiyomaro had never felt so busy. Practicing for the play one minute, training with Gash the next; the minutes and hours blended with one another. It was getting to the point where Kiyomaro would often find himself reciting his lines during training sessions with Gash. Although he was not alone in his pursuit to learn his lines and train. Surely, Ureshii, Mikoto, and Sal were in the same boat. The girls had stayed in minimal contact with Gash and Kiyomaro. Could they be training as hard as he was?

Night had fallen on the day of the play. Kiyomaro could hardly keep the butterflies in his belly from crawling out and flying away. What was he so worried about? Was it the battle with Hobbes? Was it stage fright? Or was it that fated kiss planned between Ureshii and himself? All three scenarios were cause for butterflies but which was worse?

Kiyomaro gulped hard and loud as he stood backstage, his friends gathered by his side. He was dressed in his Romeo get-up, tights and all. Suzume stood at his side with a smile on her face, her best effort to comfort Kiyomaro. He had to admit to himself, seeing Suzume beside him brought the fluttering bugs in his stomach down. The familiar smile Suzume sported was the right medicine for his stage fright. He had not yet seen Ureshii or Mikoto; the two girls had a bad habit of being late. Kiyomaro had to wonder for a moment, both girls were late? Did that mean they were both _together_? It was an intriguing thought; perhaps the girls had become friends in the past two weeks?

"People are starting to show up," Mariko pulled her head out from behind the large red curtain in front of her.

"All ready?" Kiyomaro's mouth dropped open.

"Yeah," Yamanaka answered for Mariko, "This is a big play. After all, it is the final play of the year."

"That's right…" Kiyomaro brought his hand to his chin and muttered to himself. "The school year is ending in a week or two, isn't it?"

"Yep!" Suzume grinned at Kiyomaro. "What are we going to do during the summer?"

"Now's not the time for that!" Kane jumped in between Suzume and Kiyomaro. "Think about tonight!" He looked from side to side. "Where is Ureshii?"

"Late as usual." Mariko curled her lip and grunted.

"I'm sure she'll be here." Kiyomaro replied in a nervous tone. "She _better_be here, for more than one reason."

"What was that, Takamine?"

The group of teens jumped to the sound of a deep voice. They all turned to the stage exit to see Ureshii and Mikoto standing together. The two girls were dressed in their play costumes and their hair was made up just for the part. At their sides stood Ne, Aurora and Gash. Upon seeing Gash with the two females, Kiyomaro darted forward with a smile on his face.

"Gash!"

"Your outfit his great, Kiyomaro!" Gash's mouth opened wide as his eyes scanned Kiyomaro's body. "It really suits you!"

Kiyomaro felt his hand slap his right cheek. "Sure, thanks Gash." He then let out a loud sigh before looking at Ureshii. "What are they doing here? Shouldn't they be in the audience?"

"Of course not!"

Kiyomaro's ears twitched to the sound of a familiar voice. He stood on his tiptoes to get a better look over Ureshii's shoulders. Sitting on a small stage chair behind Ureshii and Mikoto sat Bison and Sal.

"What are you two doing here?" Kiyomaro barked at the two, his index finger extended in their direction.

"It's a good idea if we kept them all backstage," Ureshii cut in with a calm voice. "Just in case anything happens." Her eyes darted to the group of stagehands behind Kiyomaro. "You know what I mean." She added, her eyes moving from Suzume to Yamanaka.

"Oh." Kiyomaro looked over his shoulder to his group of close friends. "I get it."

"Don't worry though," Sal let a girlish giggle pass her lips. "We'll all be watching from back here. I can't _wait_ to see you acting, Kiyomaro."

Kiyomaro jolted forward, one hand clenched to make a fist. "What's your deal with me? Are you related to Ureshii or something?"

"Please don't disrespect my heritage," Ureshii lifted her hand and waved it back and forth at him.

"Hey!" Sal bolted up from her seat and shot a glare at Ureshii. "Shut your mouth, you ogre!"

"What?" Ureshii dropped her hand to her side in shock. "What did you just call me?"

"Ogre!" Sal shouted, stamping her foot down on the floor. "That's what people call you, you know!"

Ureshii's brow twitched with frustration. "Who calls me that?"

The group behind Kiyomaro shuffled around, trying their hardest not to catch Ureshii's attention. While Yamanaka and Iwashima whistled and turned in a different direction, Suzume and Mariko cleared their throats and looked to the ground. Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his forehead for the second time; this was going to be a long night.

"Everyone, everyone!"

The group of teens and demons perked up to the sound of an older man's voice. They all looked up to see Mr. Rin standing before them. He was dressed in a very straight tuxedo and tie, this night was apparently important to the drama teacher. He walked toward the group of students and clapped both hands together. Kiyomaro groaned, he knew where this was going; it was show time. All ready? Kiyomaro felt his stomach drop; it couldn't be curtain time all ready.

"It's just about show time!" Mr. Rin announced, confirming Kiyomaro's worst fears. "Take your places everyone!" He then approached Kiyomaro, placing his left hand on his shoulder. "This is your time to shine, my boy!"

He felt a few droplets of sweat trickle down the side of his face, "Yeah thanks."

Was it really time for the play to begin? Kiyomaro could hardly believe it for himself. After removing his hand from Kiyomaro's shoulder, Mr. Rin walked further backstage and began to begin his play. The room dimmed. He stomach twisted in pain. Wasn't it just a few days ago that the news of the play entered his ears? There was no way the play could be happening so soon. No way in the world.

The added suspense of Hobbes incoming attack didn't help his gut wrenching pain either. There was no set time for Hobbes' attack, leaving him to only assume when it would hit.

Kiyomaro looked right then left, it was curtain time and everyone had left the stage. It was time for the prologue to be read aloud. He sighed before scurrying off center stage.

Mr. Rin prepared himself to speak aloud. He would be reading the prologue to the audience. Just as the older man took his place on stage, the heavy red curtains around him began to pull backward. The bright stage lights blinded Kiyomaro and he lifted his arm to shield his eyes. He was peaking from behind stage, watching Mr. Rin read his written lines. Kiyomaro's eyes then began to dart back and forth and scan the audience. He was searching for his mother. It wasn't long before he finally spotted the woman sitting in the back. How embarrassing, to lose his first kiss on stage in front of his mother. Kiyomaro had to shrug it off for the moment; there were more important things to be concerned with. Hobbes would be attacking at any moment, and he couldn't let his mother get caught up in the mess.

"**Two households, both alike in dignity**,"

Kiyomaro flinched as the first words of the play were spoken. It was all starting so soon. It was all happening so fast. For a single moment, his eyes landed on the exit door. No, he couldn't leave now, not before he could find out where Hobbes was. Not until he could find and destroy that evil demon and his plans. Kiyomaro took a deep breath before closing his eyes. His practiced lines ran through his head. He knew what to say and when to say it, now if he could only keep his cool.

About twenty long minutes passed Kiyomaro by. It had to be the longest yet shortest minutes of his school life. He watched as one of his closest friends, Yamanaka read the lines of Benvolio aloud and in front of the audience. Kiyomaro couldn't help but stare at Yamanaka; he just knew his lines were coming up fast.

Yamanaka moved his arm out wide and announced in a loud voice, "**Good 'morrow cousin**."

It was the moment Kiyomaro was fearing the most. Those words were his cue to step out on stage. Kiyomaro shut his eyes tight and walked himself toward the heavy red curtains. He lifted one arm out to part the curtains and exhaled. This was the moment he would not only humiliate himself with the costume he was wearing but allow the world to see him as Romeo. He finally pushed himself to step outside and on to the stage. The bright white lights pierced his eyes for a solid moment, blinding him. He fought back the urge to shield his eyes with his arms and instead squinted his eyes. This was his moment, this was the very second he would become Romeo.

"**Is the day so young?**" Kiyomaro spoke aloud, looking into the audience.

Things couldn't get any worse.

XoXoX

Minutes ticked away like hours. Every scene seemed to drag on and on. Kiyomaro could hardly wait for this play to finally be over. Iwashima and Mariko completed their lines with expected talent. Kiyomaro was taken back by the extreme dedication his friends put out for this simple school play. Their words were true, emotions raw. Even the usual calm and cool Ureshii acted her heart out. And what seemed to be a dreadful chore became something intriguing.

For once, Kiyomaro found himself at the edge of his seat, waiting for the disastrous ending the play had. He knew how this play was to end and yet, he was surprised to see every turn the plot was taking. It was as if he was reading the play for the first time. It was all coming done to one final scene. The death scene of Juliet and the kissing sequence between the two ill-fated lovers.

Kiyomaro laid on down on stage, his body stretched over a makeshift tomb. His character Romeo had taken the fatal sips of the poison that would end his life. He was finally through with his role and all he had left to do was lay in silence. As Kiyomaro laid on stage, silent as a rock, a thought crossed his mind: _Where was Hobbes?_ _Where was the huge attack set to injure the human audience? _Kiyomaro felt his brow quiver at the thought of Hobbes attack here and now.

Ureshii stepped over his body, her arms stretched out wide. She opened her mouth and spoke a few words but all Kiyomaro could hear was his own thoughts. Where was he? It was about time for the play to let out, this would be the prefect time for an attack.

"**Go, get thee hence**," Ureshii said to Fryer Laurence. "**For I will not away**."

This was it, the kissing scene. Kiyomaro felt his whole body become numb. For a short moment, his left eye flickered open. In this moment he could see all his friends behind the red curtain watching him with wide eyes. Was this really about to happen? Kiyomaro tired his hardest to gulp silently. Sweat began to stream down his face and his breathing picked up. How was he supposed to act dead at a time like this? Ureshii leaned in forward and began to speak again. At this time Kiyomaro could not make out what the female was saying, her words were blurred and muffled. All he knew for sure, was that the kissing scene was happening _now_. He squinted his eyes and held his breath and waited for the inevitable.

"**I will kiss thy lips; Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative**." She spoke just before she pushed her body toward Kiyomaro.

_BAM!_

The whole auditorium shook as a loud banging sound vibrated through the hall. Audience and staff alike began to shriek in horror. An earthquake perhaps? After a moment, the noise and movement ceased. Everyone paused and waited.

Ureshii paused and gripped the end of tomb she had been lying in. She grunted before looking over her shoulder. She paused, her eyes glued on the exit. Another loud slam caused the audience to shout and scream. This time the rocking was even rougher, causing Kiyomaro and Ureshii to sway from side to side while on stage. This was it; this was Hobbes attack in action. Kiyomaro felt himself exhale, what excellent timing. Ureshii looked back at the frightened audience and cleared her throat. Then, throwing both arms in to the air she announced,

"**Yea, noise?**" She panted, no doubt feeling her adrenaline rush in her veins. "**Then I'll be brief!**" Ureshii reached down to Kiyomaro's side and pulled out his plastic dagger. "**O happy dagger! This is thy sheath!**"She then plunged the plastic toy into her side and under her arm. "**There rust and let me die!**"

With one loose movement, Ureshii's body dropped on top of Kiyomaro's still body. The two teens let out a small grunt after their bodies made contact.

Backstage, Bison rushed for the curtain and drew it closed. Another loud bang and crash caused the hall to shake. He was attacking the back, Kiyomaro was sure of it. After closing the curtain, Kiyomaro shoved Ureshii off his chest and hopped on his two feet. Without word, he rushed over to Gash and grabbed his book bag.

"Gash!" Kiyomaro shouted, "Its Hobbes!"

"Right." Gash nodded his head. "Let's go!"

"Not so fast, Takamine."

Kiyomaro turned around to see Ureshii, Mikoto and Sal standing behind him, their demon counterparts at their sides. The three girls all held their books in their hands and stood in a fighting poses. Kiyomaro paused for a moment; it was as if he had a whole team to help him fight. Strange, he wasn't used to having friends stand by him and fight off a villain. Kiyomaro gave the three girls a firm head nod before he made a dash for the exit. The group followed not far behind the male, and the group ripped open the exit door.

The team ended up outside, in the cold night air. Kiyomaro's head turned left to see that the school wall with three huge dents in it. Kiyomaro's hunch was correct; the demon was attacking the back wall in an effort to collapse the building. Kiyomaro gripped down on his red book, it was time to teach someone a lesson.

"So, you finally heard me knocking?"

Kiyomaro shifted his attention to a small body standing in front of him. His eyes fell on a small boy. The small white-haired boy had a set of fox-like ears popping out the side of his head. A bright orange tail curled upward and swayed back and forth as he stood staring at the group. This was Hobbes? This small boy? Kiyomaro felt a laugh crawl up his throat. This is what he was so worried about?

"So you're Hobbes!" Gash stood first in line, his index finger pointing in Hobbes' direction. "What are you doing attacking the school! You're going to hurt a lot of innocent people, you know!"

"And that's exactly what I plan on doing." Hobbes answered in a whisper of a voice.

"Why?" Kiyomaro snapped as he flipped his spell book open.

"To destroy all humans of course." A slick smile spread across Hobbes face. "I want to destroy every single human." Hobbes then clenched both fists. "They're so selfish, so cunning, so disgusting. I just want to eliminate the vermin."

"I think I've had enough of this babble!" Sal shoved Kiyomaro aside and pulled out her book. "Bison, let's go!" With a nod of his head, Bison stepped forward. "TERRAOUS!"

A bright light shown from Sal's spell book and caused Kiyomaro and Gash to take a step or two backward away from Sal and her demon. Bison rushed forward, both fists lifted in the air. He then slammed both hands into the ground and caused the earth to shake beneath them. The vibrations caused mounds of dirt and concrete to roll in waves toward Hobbes. As the rubble rolled toward Hobbes, the small boy moved one arm. Out of the brush a teenage boy appeared and stood beside the evil demon. The boy held an open book in his hand and called loudly. The spell caused Hobbes to lift his left arm upward. Roots from a near by tree sprouted from the dirt and successfully blocked Bison's on coming attack.

"Pitiful." Hobbes chuckled as the roots dug back into the ground.

"This isn't going well." Mikoto lifted her hand to her mouth.

"HOSPORUK!" Ureshii called out from behind the group.

Ne leapt forward, her body shining with energy. Her shape began to shift after her spell had been called. She began to change into a demonic form. Her long nails shot far out from her hand. Ne let out a loud battle cry as she charged at Hobbes. Hobbes' human partner once again called out his spell causing the tree roots to spring out from the ground. Ne's long sharp nails penetrated the roots, only to become stuck. The young female let out a yip, before removing her nails from the roots. Ne jumped back and stood in front of the group with a look of fear on her face.

"I think we should end this now." Hobbes spoke before moving his hands in front of his tiny body. "Now!" He commanded his partner to call out his next attack.

Hobbes' human counterpart did as he was told and called out a second attack. Kiyomaro stiffened as he watched Hobbes' expression began more focused. Something big was coming. Kiyomaro called out to Gash. Gash turned to him and nodded his head. The two boys then pushed anyone who was around him to the side and stood straight in front of Hobbes. A small ball of focused energy began to gather within Hobbes' empty hands. The bright purple ball of energy began to zap and fizz with electricity.

This must have been the attack Hobbes was using to attack the school. Kiyomaro looked over his shoulder to see the two large dents in the wall. There was no way he or Gash could survive an attack of that caliber at the distance they were standing at. Kiyomaro grunted before looking back to Hobbes and his human partner. He had to do something _quick_.

"Takamine!" Ureshii shouted at Kiyomaro, "What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Without turning to face her, Kiyomaro spoke, "Just trust me!" He moved her arm forward. "Everyone get behind me!"

Ureshii turned to look at Mikoto with confusion. The two girls hesitated for a moment. Kiyomaro shouted again, commanding the group to stay behind him. Ureshii swallowed her pride and jumped behind Kiyomaro and placed both hands on his shoulders. Mikoto and Sal followed. The group of teens then gathered behind Kiyomaro and Gash, creating a barricade of sorts. Kiyomaro flipped open his red book and looked down at the small markings inside. The words began to glow on the spot and reflected in his eyes. Gash looked back at his partner for a short second and nodded his head.

"This may hurt!" Hobbes shouted.

The purple ball of energy reached its limit and dwarfed Hobbes in size. It was then that the small boy pushed forward, releasing the large sum of energy toward the group. Kiyomaro grunted as the attack flew at him full-force. He knew just what to do.

"RASHIELD!"

A golden barrier shot up from the floor and stood strong in front of Gash. Hobbes' on coming attack hit the shield with a force great enough to cause shock waves to push Kiyomaro back. He dug his heels into the dirt and stood strong. He pushed forward, his shoulder as tense as could be. Ureshii grunted and dug her nails into his shoulder. The blast was then completely absorbed by Gash's golden shield.

A moment passed without a sound. Then the huge golden barrier began to shake and wiggle about. The large blast that Hobbes and shot hadn't been blocked it had been _deflected_. The huge blast shot back toward Hobbes and his human partner. The two let out a loud yip before jumping to the side. The large energy blast breezed past the fallen duo. A huge cloud of dust flew up into the air as the blast hit a tree. The dust caused the group of teens to cover their eyes and cough.

Minutes passed before the dust finally cleared. Kiyomaro was first to reopen his eyes and stand up straight. Hobbes was gone. He cursed under his breath; he had missed his chance at getting rid of Hobbes for good.

"Wow!"

Kiyomaro's shoulder twitched to the sound of a voice coming from behind him. He turned to see the three girls and their demon partners standing behind him with smiles on their faces.

"That was amazing, Kiyomaro!" Mikoto rushed toward him and grabbed him by his hand. "You saved everyone!"

"Wha?" Kiyomaro let out a small laugh before he moved his hand over his forehead, wiping away any sweat.

"Gash!" Ne jumped toward the golden-haired boy. "You saved us!" She then nuzzled her face in Gash's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Don't get too excited." Ureshii pouted. "Hobbes hasn't been defeated, his book wasn't burned. He got away." She then turned to Kiyomaro and narrowed her eyes at him. "You just let him see one of your attacks. Now he can guess what your next move will be."

"You know a THANK YOU wouldn't hurt!" Kiyomaro shouted at the female.

"I'll thank you once Hobbes' book is burned." Ureshii crossed her arms and turned away from the group. "We need to get back inside. I'm sure they're wondering where we went."

"Good idea." Aurora added, "I'm sure the final act is done." He glanced at Kiyomaro and Gash. "Go take your bows, you deserve it."

The two partners looked at one another and smiled. A bow was definitely in order. Kiyomaro and the rest of the group entered the school theater together. They walked out on stage to see the large audience before them. Standing on stage was the rest of the staff and actors. The audience members were on their feet, clapping their hands together in celebration. Kiyomaro stood in center stage with Ureshii and held the female's hand. They the connected by hand with the rest of the staff and bowed before the audience. At least they were safe, for the time being.

Act End.


	20. Act Twenty

The Most Happy

Act Twenty

Walking down the street, Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his forehead to shield out the sun's rays. What an exciting day! After all, today was the final day of school and Kiyomaro had just been released from his final class. He had just finished making his summer plans with Suzume and a few other close pals. Baseball with Yamanaka, monster hunting with Kane and best of all, a swimming party with all of his closest friends, things couldn't be any better. But then there was the addition of Kiyomaro's summer vacation to England. He was going to visit his father during the warm summer months, something that Kiyomaro didn't get to do often. Seeing his father again, it was the thing he was most looking forward to.

As he strolled on home, Kiyomaro yawned and stretched his arms over his head. Tomorrow was going to be a lively day; it was in his best interest to rest as much as he could once he got home. His eyes fluttered open and focused on the road ahead of him. Walking in front of him was Ureshii, a sight Kiyomaro had become accustomed to.

Something then struck Kiyomaro as strange; Ureshii had been pretty quiet the whole school day. She had not approached him in anyway, not even to mock him about all the socializing his friends planned for him. Odd, it was unusual for Ureshii to go a whole day without speaking to him without a good reason. Kiyomaro hummed to himself; perhaps he should approach her and ask her what the problem was? He dashed forward to catch up with the taller female.

"Hey Ureshii!" He called out to the girl, and waved his arm back and forth.

Instead of answering, Ureshii closed her eyes and continued to slowly walk forward. Caught off guard with her silence, Kiyomaro stood beside the female with a confused look on his face.

"What's the matter?" Kiyomaro blinked several times, still feeling at odds with the situation. "You haven't said a word all day, are you all right?"

"Takamine," Ureshii finally broke her silence and spoke in a dark voice.

"I didn't get a chance to ask you but," Kiyomaro interrupted Ureshii and continued to speak. "Would you like to come to the water park with me and the gang?" Kiyomaro felt his hand tap the top of his head; true Ureshii wasn't exactly _invited _but why not ask her to be polite?

"I can't."

"Oh," Kiyomaro removed his hand from his head and let a relieved sigh pass his lips.

"Takamine," Ureshii's legs came to a halt as she spoke. "I'm a transfer student."

"Yeah?" He chuckled at her statement. "I know that."

She sighed before taking two steps forward, in front of him. "Then you know that I'm leaving, right?"

"Of course I knew-" Kiyomaro's eyes snapped open with shock. "What?" He then lifted his hands to chest-level and opened his mouth wide. "What are you talking about?"

"Takamine." Ureshii shook her head from side to side, her long hair swaying in the wind. "That's what a transfer student is." She then inhaled through her nose and bit down on her lower lip. "A transferred here from my hometown for a semester of school. Now that it's over I have to go back."

Kiyomaro paused for a moment. He was sure that his ears heard wrong. There was no way Ureshii could leave now! She was just getting comfortable, wasn't she? Kiyomaro lifted his right hand to his head and thought for a moment. What was going on? There was no way that Ureshii was _that_ kind of transfer student. Surely, she would come back in the fall and continue her schooling at Mochinoki…right? After just finding Aurora and Bison she was just going to up and leave? It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair to Ne.

"W-when are you leaving?" Kiyomaro stumbled with his words.

"Tomorrow." Ureshii straightened her back and looked over her shoulder at him. "Ne and I have been packing for the past week."

Kiyomaro's mouth dropped open wider. Wait a minute was this the reason why Ureshii always lived alone? Was this the reason why she rented an apartment? Was this the reason why her apartment was so empty? It was all beginning to make sense. Images of Ureshii's empty living space flashed in his mind. There was no way this could be happening.

"I'm leaving first thing in the morning." She gave him a cold, empty stare.

"So then what was the point of Gash and I helping you?" Kiyomaro felt himself snap, his frustrations reaching its limit. "You _knew_ you would eventually leave so what was the point?"

Ureshii's slender shoulders bobbed up and down as she chuckled and she turned her head away from Kiyomaro. "I wasn't doing it for you; I was doing it to help Ne." Ureshii's shoulders came to a slow stop and she continued to speak in her low, calm voice. "Any help we could get, I took. There was a point to it all, now we know where most of them are…" She paused for a moment before sighing and speaking. "Thanks to you and your partner."

What was with he sudden gratitude? He felt sudden urge to gag. This had to be a plot to make him feel guilty, he was sure of it. He wouldn't fall for it, not one second of it! Kiyomaro balled up both of his fists and grinned his teeth.

"Don't give me that!" Kiyomaro's arm shot upward and his index finger pointed in Ureshii's direction. "You just USED us!" He shouted out of anger and frustration. "Now that you've got what you wanted, you're just gonna leave. Typical _woman_."

Reverse psychology, it was the perfect remedy to combat Ureshii. She had often used the fact that he was a man to fault all his mistakes, so why not turn the tables on her? All he could see in this moment was his own anger, how could she just leave like this? Kiyomaro snarled, his finger still pointed at Ureshii's back. She wasn't going to get away that easy.

"Say what you want." Ureshii shrugged her shoulders before clearing her throat. "I'm leaving now."

Kiyomaro snorted. So she was just going to leave eh? Fine, so be it. He drew back his arm and folded it along with his left arm over his chest. Typical Ureshii behavior, leaving when her due is called upon. He couldn't think of any words to say to her and just watched as the female walked back to her home. How was he going to explain himself to Gash? Kiyomaro took a deep breath before letting his arms fall back to his sides. This was going to be hard for him to explain. Not only Gash, but how would he explain this to Mikoto and Sal? True the three girls weren't exactly close, but they couldn't be _happy_ about this sudden change.

He was going to have to explain himself…somehow.

XoXoX

Explaining himself to Gash was harder than Kiyomaro had originally thought but explaining himself to Mikoto and Sal? It was ten times worse. It wasn't enough that Ureshii made him look stupid in front of his valued friends, but now she was making him look bad in front of other book holders! Ugh! It was enough to drive him up the nearest wall. Even when she wasn't around, she was stilling finding a way to ruin his social life!

His trip in England was coming to a fast close. Faster than he had expected and knowing that he would soon have to leave his father's side once again was a thought Kiyomaro didn't keep in his mind long. Being away from his Father was something he never enjoyed.

But he had today to enjoy in any event. The bright sun was gazing down on him while he and his demon partner, Gash, ate their meal on the park lawn. The grass was lush and green while the wind was fresh and crisp. It was an amazing sight and the perfect place for a lunch date with Gash.

Maybe things would go back to normal now that Ureshii had left his life. Normal? Did she really bring that much drama into his life? Was it ever 'normal' with her around? Just when she was beginning to warm up to him she leaves his side in a matter of moments. Would that truly be the last time they would see one another? Their last conversation being so heated and filled with anxiety? Then again, when was there a moment when there was any emotion but happiness? She _did_ have a bad habit of bringing about a bad mood.

He didn't have to worry about it now, right? That was it. What was done was done and now she and Ne were gone. The least he could do was send them off with a sincere good bye. But that didn't happen…

"Kiyomaro!"

He felt his body stiffen to the call of his name. Kiyomaro tore his eyes away from the great blue sky above him and looked down toward the green grass. Gash stood below him with a wide smile on his face. Bread crumbs from their lunch still lingered on his cheeks as he stood with excitement.

"Didn't you hear me?" Gash asked.

"Oh," Kiyomaro lifted his hand to his face and began to scratch at the side of his face. Was he really lost in is thoughts to _that_ extent that he hadn't heard his partner? Gee, that wasn't a good sign. "What did you say?"

"I was saying that we should do this again, soon!" He chirped with glee.

"The picnic?" Kiyomaro said while Gash nodded. "Oh, sure."

"Are you okay, Kiyomaro?" The smile on Gash's face faded and he tilted his head to the left. "You seem distracted."

"Nothing!" Kiyomaro's hands flew up in defense. "I was just thinking, that's all."

Gash shut his eyes before lifting his index finger into the air. "You know what your mom says, 'try not to think too much, Kiyomaro!'"

Kiyomaro felt his mind draw a blank. "Yeah," He replied in a less than enthused voice, "I'll remember that."

He watched as his smaller partner's facial expression suddenly changed. Gash's large eyes snapped back open and he lifted his chin a few inches into the air. His trademark smile began to spread over his chubby cheeks while his eyes grew larger in amazement.

What was he looking at? Kiyomaro felt his eyebrow arch to the top of his hairline. "What's the matter?"

"Ohhh!" Gash's lips formed a large 'O' shape. "It's coming right for us!"

Kiyomaro felt his stare harden and his bottom lip pout. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Seeing no further explanation from Gash, he felt his chin move ever so slowly over his shoulder. Perhaps seeing whatever sight there was to see for himself would explain Gash's excitement.

Before Kiyomaro could blink a second time, a bright red flash exploded in his field of vision. He was seeing red? A sudden sharp pressure to the center of his face caused him to yelp aloud. His arms instinctually jerked upward toward his nose and the tips of his fingers ran over the sensation of plastic. Something red and plastic had hit him in the face?

The world around him began to spin and before he knew what was happening next, Kiyomaro felt the back of his head hit the grass on the ground. The object that had hit his face had fallen off to one side, but he couldn't yet make out any objects. A small warm, wet sensation dripping down from his nose told him only one thing. A nosebleed was to ensue.

Why wouldn't the world around him cease to spin? He was laying down now, so shouldn't the spinning of colors and objects come to a stop? He felt his eyes shut. The darkness behind his eyelids did little to stop the spinning and before Kiyomaro could open his eyes again, the darkness had consumed him.

XoXoX

"Kiyomaro!"

Was Gash calling to him? Ugh, it was hard to tell. The only thing Kiyomaro was certain of was the throbbing pain in the center of his face. Darkness still surrounded him but he could feel his brows over his eyes quiver. Had he blacked out? Great.

Kiyomaro felt his eyelids begin to twitch and ache. He allowed his eyes to flutter for a second or two before finally opening them. The world around him was brightly lit and blurry. Objects and colors smudged together in a confusing portrait, wait where was Gash?

"Kiyomaro! Are you okay?"

He was sure this time that voice belonged to Gash. Without a second thought, the injured male lifted his hand to his forehead and groaned. The imagery around him was beginning to make _some _sense now. Kiyomaro turned to his right to see a small blond blotch that was Gash.

"W-what happened?" He stammered, the pain in his face causing him to wince.

"You were hit in the face!" Gash exclaimed with a tone that was close to an excited one. "With a frisbee!"

A frisbee? Wait, weren't frisbees those plastic-flying discs? Ugh, this bruise was going to be a doozy to explain to his mother once he returned home…

"It looks like your nose is bleeding!" The small blond demon continued to add insult to injury.

Kiyomaro resisted the urge to roll his eyes, the act would only further is dizziness. He then released a second groan before inhaling a deep breath of air. Where was that evil plastic disc? He was going to bend it in half when he found it! It was then the teen male turned his attention to his left side. The image of a smaller female came into quick view. She sat on her knees before him with a look of worry on her face.

"Who?"

"I'm so sorry!" She squealed before Kiyomaro could complete his question. "It was an accident!"

"What?"

"It was my frisbee!" She released a small wail before throwing his small body on the floor. "I hit you! I'm so, so sorry!"

So it was hers? Why did he suddenly feel guilt at the thought of breaking her plastic toy?

"It's…okay." He responded with a moan. "Where is your friend?" Kiyomaro asked, his eyesight finally returning to normal.

His eyes focused like a camera, blurry images transforming back to crystal clear ones. The small female in front of him couldn't be more than eight or nine. She was tiny in stature and wore a pair of overalls that fit loosely on her waist. Two long braided pigtails hung over her shoulders and reflected in a dirty blonde color. Her striking brown eyes were hidden behind a thick pair of black-framed glasses and hid her glossy tears that threatened to fall down her chubby cheeks.

"Friend?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.

"You were playing with a frisbee," He went on to explain, "I assume you had to have someone on the receiving end, right?"

"Oh." The girl's head sank down between her shoulders. "I was actually…playing by myself…"

Kiyomaro felt his brow twitch. "How do you play FRISBEE with yourself?" He felt the urge to snap at the smaller, frail female.

"Well…"

"It's all right, Ren!" Gash's blond head poked its way into view. "We can play together now!"

"Ren?" The bloodied teen glanced down at his partner.

"Yes, that's my name." The girl's cheeks darkened with a bright red hue.

"I'll ask again," Kiyomaro felt his jaw clench with frustration. "How do you play frisbee with yourself, Ren?"

Ren lifted her tiny pale hands to her bottom lip. She paused for a long moment before she began to speak once again, "Well, I don't really have anyone else to play with so…"

"No one to play with?" He felt his heartstrings suddenly tug.

"But that's okay, we're here now!" Gash threw his arms into the air and squealed. "We'll play with you!"

The small dirty blonde female jerked upright from her seat on the grass and locked gazes with the blond demon. "Really?"

"Wait, wait," Kiyomaro lifted his hands into the air, pausing the two children from becoming carried away. "I think I have to get my nose cleaned up first."

"Ah," Gash lowered his arms and nodded his head.

"I think I'll go back to my dad's place." He advised, "He'll want to take a look at my nose and make sure nothings BROKEN."

He lifted his tired body from the ground and stood up straight. He dusted off his slacks with a quick flick of his wrist and motioned to Gash. The smaller male wasted no time and jumped to his feet and stood beside Kiyomaro with his usual smile.

"Wait!"

Kiyomaro jerked. He looked over his shoulder at the seated Ren and cocked a brow.

"You can come to my house!" She cupped her hands together in front of her chest and pleaded. "We can clean you up there! I think we have some motrin in the kitchen too!"

Gash reached out to Kiyomaro's pant leg and began to tug at it. "What's motrin?" He proceeded to whisper.

"Hm," The older teen lifted his hand to his nose. "It might help if there's any swelling…"

"It is my fault after all!" Ren continued. "Please!"

Was this a good idea? The throbbing in his nose wasn't going away but then…she seemed so desperate. He turned once again to face the tiny girl on the grassy hill. She had beads of tears forming in the corners of her eyes and a light dusting of pink highlighted on her cheeks. He couldn't just abandon her after what she had said just moments before.

"_Well, I don't really have anyone else to play with so…"_

If it wasn't her looks that outcast her, it had to be something else. She was a typical nerd, one look at her clothing style told him so but did that justify her having no friends? After all, he knew more than anyone what it was like, having no one by your side. Day after day, being teased for his knowledge; although she may be teased for a different reason, it was still the same exile.

"Fine." Kiyomaro said.

He watched the expression on her face change from despair to joy. Her frown flipped upside down and a large, happy grin consumed her face. She shut her eyes and clapped her hands together with glee. She then jumped to her feet and dashed toward him and his partner.

Why did he feel like he would soon regret his decision?

Act End.


	21. Act Twenty One

The Most Happy

Act Twenty One

"Right this way!"

Ugh, if he didn't get any painkillers soon he was sure he would pass out from the pain. At least the bleeding had come to a stop. He was pretty confident that his nose wasn't broken, just sore from the sudden slam against the plastic disc.

If anything his headache was worse than anything.

Gash walked in front of him with a stride with each step. Was he excited about the new friend they had just met? Hm, it was likely; he was _always_ excited about meeting new people. He was also quick to call strangers friends. Ignorance was bliss in any event.

But what harm could a small girl like Ren cause? She seemed pretty harmless. Kiyomaro couldn't really imagine any evil planning being forged behind those thick, oversized glasses.

"We're here!"

All ready? Kiyomaro removed his eyes from Gash and looked upward. Before the trio stood a very large upscale home. Vintage styled windows and painted with dull white and baby blues; this was surely the home of someone who had wealthy parents. His jaw just about hit the floor as they approached the large, three story home. _This_ was Ren's home?

"Wow!" Gash was first to speak. "It's HUGE!"

"This is my house." Ren spun around on her heel to face the two boys. "Come on inside, and we'll fix that nose!"

"You're really nice, Ren." Gash replied without hesitation. "You didn't hafta do this for us."

The young girl shook her head from side to side. "No, it was my fault. The least I could do is help with the pain."

Kiyomaro felt a small weight lift from his shoulders. How long had it been since a person had last been _this_ nice to him? Besides Suzume of course. The last few weeks had been troublesome with Ureshii and Sal; it just seemed as if it had been too long since he had received a nice gesture.

"Let's get that medicine quick," He hated to cut the sweet conversation short, but his headache wasn't letting up. "I think my head's gonna explode."

"Oh!" Ren squeaked, "Okay, come on!"

She spun back around to face her large home. She then skipped up the small staircase leading toward the front door. Kiyomaro and Gash followed without a second to lose and waited at the front door. Ren lifted her hand to the door and slammed her small fist against the wooden door. She was knocking? At her own door?

"Don't you have a key?" Gash asked.

"No," Ren peeked over her shoulder for a short moment. "My mom likes the door to be locked at all times!"

Ah a strict mother, sounded somewhat familiar. But still, it was a bit odd that Ren didn't have access to her home at all times. But there was nothing to it, he was just here to clean up then he and Gash were out. As it was, he needed to check in with his own parent.

The doorknob jiggled. Kiyomaro watched with careful eyes as the knob went from a twitching motion to a turning one. A small clicking sound echoed in his ears and caused his heart to jump. The door then began to creak as it opened.

The darkness from the inside of the home forced his eyes to adjust. No sound of any dogs or television added to the eerie sensation that crawled up his spine. The silhouette of a tall female came into view. Wait, this silhouette appeared familiar…no, this was England! No one he knew lived here! Right?

"Ureshii!"

The sunlight poured into the darkness of the front hall and highlighted the figure standing in front of him. There she was the same as when he first saw her on that faithful day. Long, dyed locks and a dead look in her eyes that caused him to shutter. It was Ureshii Shikimori.

Her eyes grew wide upon seeing him; she was just as shocked as he was. Her eyebrows nearly touching the top of her hairline and her mouth dropped open in shock. Her arm, which had been placed on the inner doorway, had slipped down and hit her side. She took a single step backward and remained speechless.

"Ureshii?" Kiyomaro felt the words fall from his mouth without thinking. "What are…"

"You doing here?" They finished one another's sentences at once.

"Ureshii?" Ren cocked her head to one side. "You know Kiyomaro and Gash?"

"You're in England?" He couldn't, he refused to believe his eyes. There was no way he was seeing what he was seeing in this moment. "How-"

"I LIVE here, Takamine!" Ureshii was quick to bark back. "What are YOU doing here?"

"I…" Kiyomaro turned down to Gash, "We…"

"Spit it out all ready."

"UGH!" He threw his arms into the air and growled. "You think you'd be HAPPY to see us!"

She released a short snort through her nose, trying her best to contain her sarcastic laughter. "Happy? To see you? I think you've got it backwards."

"I see you haven't changed any." His shoulders slumped in shame.

"Hey Ureshii!" Gash waved his small, short arm in the air. "We came to England to visit Kiyomaro's Dad!"

"Ah," Ureshii lifted her curled index finger to her bottom lip and hummed. "I see."

Ugh, now she was going to be nice to Gash and not him? It was enough to send him into a heated frenzy! She knew how to push his buttons and she did it without hesitation, it was pure evil. Just when Kiyomaro was getting used to the fact that he'd never see this female again, she decides to pop back into his life, in the most random way of course.

"Where's Ne?" Gash was quick to request.

"That's the least of our problems!" Kiyomaro balled his fist and shouted down at his demon partner.

"Um, excuse me…"

The injured teen male felt the urge to snap at the person last to speak. He directed his eyes to the person who had just spoken. He saw Ren standing just inches from the doorway with a confused gaze set in her eyes. She had one brow cocked and her bottom lip poked out.

"How do you know Ureshii?" She asked, her head tilted to the right.

"The better question is how do _you_ know Ureshii?" Kiyomaro answered the youngsters question with another question.

"Ureshii?" Ren lifted her hand and pointed her small index finger into her flat chest. "She's my older sister."

XoXoX

How entertaining. So Takamine had shown up at her door, just like that? This was more than coincidence, after all Ureshii didn't believe in coincidence. What were the odds? Both teens meeting back up in England in the same city at the same time? This was far more than just a random incident. There was a reason behind it all.

Not to mention that Takamine and his squirt of a partner had also run across her younger sister, Ren. It wasn't everyday that her dork of a sister ran into someone she knew. Seeing Takamine again wasn't something she was expecting but could she use this event to her advantage?

Hm, it appeared that the skin around his nose was bright red and swollen, he also held on to it like a vice. Did something happen? There was only one way to know for sure.

"What happened to your face?" Ureshii asked in a blunt tone.

She watched him flinch beneath the pressure of embarrassment. "I was hit by your sister's flying disc." He said, jerking his weight in Ren's direction.

"Ren was playing with her frisbee!" Gash threw both of his arms into the air and exclaimed.

She resisted the urge to laugh aloud. How amusing, now he was hurt on top of everything else? It was just enough to make her day a good one. Now, what was she to do? A wounded warrior at her door, she couldn't refuse him. Not after he gave her a good mental laugh.

Ureshii shrugged her shoulders a single time and pulled her body out of the doorway. "Come in. We have some ice to calm down the swelling."

She watched as he hesitated for a moment. Was he taken back by her sudden act of kindness? The taller female had to admit to herself, it was a drastic change from her usual personally traits. Another moment in waiting, Ureshii lifted her hand to Takamine and beckoned him inside her large home. Damn, how many times did she have to offer her 'hospitality' to him? Was he stupid?

Either way she wasn't going to wait around forever. She gave a sarcastic roll of her eyes before turning on her heel. If he wasn't going to follow, she wouldn't force him. He was a lost cause anyhow.

She stepped deeper into her darkened house without flaw. She stepped over the tile flooring, her footsteps accompanied by three extra sets of legs. Ah, so he decided to come in? She was sure now she'd have to explain herself further to him. He was a nosy idiot.

Ureshii passed through the hall until she found herself in the living room. The teen girl released a small sigh before reaching the long couch. She flopped down on the soft cushion, allowing her back to hit the back of the soft couch. She was quick to fold her left leg over her right and set her arms folded over her chest. She was going to be interrogated now, she was sure of it.

"I'll get you the ice bag, Kiyomaro." Ren made her way into the living room, showing the direction of the couch to the injured 'warrior'. "You sit. I'll be right back."

"Don't forget that motrin." He was sure to remind the smaller female. "I think I'm gonna need it now."

Ah, so she had given Takamine a headache now? Ureshii grinned to herself, that's just the reaction she expected from him, still laughable in any event.

"All right," Ren said as she helped Takamine to his seat. "I'll come back with some water too."

"Thanks!" Gash sent his gratitude to Ren with a bright smile and chirp.

Ureshii watched and waited as Gash took a seat beside his human partner. After both boys appeared comfortable, Ureshii straightened her back and allowed her eyelids to shut halfway. She lifted her eyebrows to her hairline and waited. The questions, they would come any moment now.

"You live in England?"

Oh how she longed to roll her eyes. "I'm a transfer student." She could recall herself saying these words not too long ago. "But yes, I transferred from England."

"What are the odds?" Gash beamed. "That we'd meet up again!"

"You have a little sister?"

Hm? Ureshii felt her interest peak. Did Takamine just ask her an unexpected question? This _was_ growing to be an interesting afternoon. She unfolded her arms from her chest and legs. She then placed her elbows on her knees and locked gazes with the boy sitting across from her.

"It seems so." Ureshii replied in a low tone.

"You never told me." He narrowed his field of vision at her.

The longhaired female allowed her shoulders to bob up once. "I didn't know I was required to." She then dropped her chin into the palms of her hands. "Not like it matters."

"She's cute."

Ureshii felt a single brow lift up. "I guess."

"So where are your mom and dad?" Gash asked without hesitation. "Is your mom making dinner like Kiyomaro's mom does?"

"Don't know, don't care." Watching both boys' reaction to her pervious statement was always enjoyable but this time, what she was saying was not to impress them.

"What?" Kiyomaro's head dropped to the right. "What do you mean?"

"She's at work." Ureshii felt a hiss press from between her teeth. "Okay? Anything else you want to ask? Anymore of my life you want to pry into?"

The fire that ignited in her stomach was again another unexpected turn that Takamine and his brat had started. So what, her mom was at work? What was the big deal? Did he always have to stick his big nose into her business? He was a terrible pain in her side that never seemed to fade, even half way around the world.

Ren better come back with that ice bag and motrin quick. Ureshii wasn't sure how much more she could withstand.

"Are you feeling okay, Ureshii?" Gash pressed on. "You seem mad."

"You mean she feels an emotion other than angry?" Takamine said just under his breath.

Ureshii felt her eyebrow twitch. There it was that smartass and his remarks. If it wasn't enough for him to show up at her doorstep, now he was insulting her in her own home! He was cheeky and brave, she'd give him _that_ much.

"If you want a second bloody nose, Takamine, keep talking."

"I wish you'd lighten up, just this once." He replied without a moment to lose. "Even when you're in your own environment, you're still so hostile."

"Then shut your mouth." She didn't sugarcoat her emotions.

Takamine bolted from his seat. He balled up both fists and expressed a fierce glare. "You know everything I've done for you and you can't just be nice! On top of that, Gash and I have never been thanked for anything we've done for you!"

Ureshii shook her head from side to side. "I did thank you."

"A whole hearted thanks," He corrected. "I've yet to even see you give me a genuine smile!"

"I don't need to."

"Kiyomaro!" Gash was next to rise from his seat on the black couch. "You're being too harsh!"

"But it's the truth!"

The room fell into an awkward silence. She continued to stare up at Takamine, who by this time was sweating bullets. Gash stood by his side in a strong effort to settle him down. She sat with her chin placed on her open palms, her face as still as ever. She wouldn't let on that he was getting to her, no way. She would never give him that power.

She didn't need to give him anything. He wanted to help her and her demon partner, Ne, she never asked for one favor. Takamine offered his services and she accepted them, there was no need for thank yous. And a 'genuine smile'? Since when was that a proper token of gratitude for a _man_? Things with men were never _that_ easy.

In any event, if it _that_ was enough to get him off her back, she would fake it. Ureshii pushed her elbows off of her knees and sat up straight and positioned her shoulders back. She lifted her chin and faced her younger schoolmate, her eyes once again locked with his while her jaw clenched. The blue-haired female could feel the ends of her lips begin to twitch in an unnatural fashion. Ugh, this was a facial expression she wasn't used to. She resisted the urge to fold her bottom lip beneath her front teeth and allowed a grimace to form. Her thick black brows furrowed on her forehead and she felt her upper left cheek flinch.

She broke her 'delicate smile' for a moment to speak, "There. Happy?"

"That was just terrible."

Did Takamine just say that? She felt what little smile that remained on her face to fade. Her brows darted downward, over her eyes and her bottom lip pouted. She could feel her top and bottom teeth grinding together in her usual stress reliever manner.

Takamine allowed his lanky body to drop back down. His backside hit the couch with the only sound coming from his lips in the form of a sigh. Ureshii watched as he allowed his eyelids to fall over his dark brown eyes, his entire body relaxed without hesitation. What happened to the tense boy she was staring down just seconds before? Had he come to some sudden realization, 'seen the light' kind of situation that made him see the truth behind everything?

No, no way. He was smart, but way too stupid socially to know anything about someone else's feelings.

His lips parted, he was ready to speak, she assumed. Brown strands of hair hung over his eyes and hid the expression in his eyes. "Ureshii," His voice was smooth and calm, "Are your parents divorced?"

Divorced? What the hell? Now her ex-schoolmate had just lost his mind. Ureshii could feel the burning in her stomach crawl up the back of her throat. She could feel the bile from her empty belly making its way to her mouth. Sweat began to build above her brow as her body temperature rose.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She spat.

"Kiyomaro?"

She turned her attention to the small blond demon, who continued to stand inches from the couch. Gash looked up at his partner with worried-filled eyes and tense posture. This wasn't going well, Ureshii could _feel _it. Gash was becoming considered with his partner's actions and words? That was _not_ natural.

"Your mom is at work, right?"

Ureshii's blue eyes bounced back in Takamine's direction. Shadows cascaded over his forehead, darkening his hidden expression. He had moved his hands over his legs and interlaced his fingers together in a causal pose. What was his deal? Why was he acting as if he knew something he wasn't supposed to? Acting like he's a big shot! It was further than offensive, it was just crude.

"So what?" The female tried her best to shrug off his last comment. "Big deal."

"Most mothers don't have to work unless she's a single parent."

What the hell did _he_ know? He knew nothing about her family life! How dare he come into _her_ home and make assumptions of that caliber! Ureshii couldn't contain the burning pain of anger any longer. She sprang from her seat and with every ounce of energy she opened her mouth and shouted,

"Get the hell out of my house, Takamine! You have no idea what you're talking about!"

He didn't waste a moment to react, his head jerked upright to face her. Sweat had caused the strands of hair around his face to stick to his skin while the swollen skin around his nose radiated a bright red shade. His eyebrows were pointed downward and his jaw clenched tight, it was obvious now that he had been harboring his own anger.

"It's because I'm right, isn't it?" He shot back. "That's why you have such a chip on your shoulder!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"No," Takamine barked, "Listen to me, for once!"

"I'll _never_ listen to _you_!" She shook her head from right to left with enough force to cause her hair to swing. "Just stay away from me; I never want to speak to you again!"

Silence.

She could feel her chest rising and falling after the shouting match. Her eyes stayed glued to the younger male duo in front of her. After her last loud statement, Takamine's face softened. His thick black eyebrows lifted from his eyes and reached to top of his forehead. Small beads of sweat built from moments passed continued to trickle down his cheek and drip off his strong chin.

Had she offended him? Good, he deserved it. How dare he try to understand her or her lifestyle? He had known her for three months; in that time he did not gain her respect enough to criticize her life. As far as she was concerned, she never wanted to speak or see him again.

The sound of small breaths caught the trio off guard. Ureshii whirled her neck to the right to see her younger sister, Ren standing in the doorway. In her hands she managed to juggle a bag of ice, two pills and a glass of water. The lock on her chubby cheeks was enough to let elder sister know she had been standing in the doorway for sometime. She had heard the whole thing.

Her eyebrows were flipped upside down while her blue eyes concentrated on the tile floor. Her lips parted slightly and her chest moved upward and downward in a mess of shallow breaths.

"Ren…" Gash's small voice echoed through the hall.

"Our parents aren't divorced."

Ureshii felt the heavy inhales and exhales come to a slow stop. Her body loosened from its stiff form and her shoulders relaxed. She knew what was coming next, Ren would explain to Takamine and Gash their family's past life. Great, this was a story she'd rather not rehash. She felt the weight from her legs give way and her backside hit the soft cushion of her chair. Ureshii then threw her right leg over her left and turned her chin to the west. If she was going to hear this story over again, she didn't want to see _his_ reaction.

"Our father passed away a year ago."

The female book holder felt her heart wince. She allowed her eyelids to slowly fall over her baby blue eyes. His eyes, she could feel _his_ eyes land on her, staring at her. But she couldn't look at him, she refused to.

"I…" Takamine made a small effort to speak.

"He was very sick." Ren's voice entered the air. "And he passed away."

"I'm sorry." Gash squeaked while the sound of his shifting clothes let Ureshii know he had taken his seat back.

"I…" Takamine spoke up once again, "We didn't know."

Ureshii felt her dying anger spark once again, "Of course you didn't."

Instead of fighting back, her rival book holder remained silent. Taking advantage of the fact that they were not locked in a stare, Ureshii rolled her eyes and grunted. What an idiot, she had never disliked anyone as much as she distasted _him_.

"Ureshii?"

She felt her right brow lift in interest after hearing Gash's high-pitched voice call to her. She couldn't turn around to face him or Takamine, not during this moment, with this conversation continuing. And yet, her affection for someone as small and innocent as Gash required some respect. Ureshii turned her chin to her shoulder and moved her eyes to stare at the tiny blond demon.

"Is that why you ran away?"

A second jab to her heart. That was a question she wasn't expecting to come her way. So he had listened _and _remembered their conversation from that day three months ago…

"_You were a runaway?"_

Was it only three months ago when that conversation happened? The memories that flashed back in her mind, it was as if they took place years ago. So Takamine had only taken up nine weeks of her life? Why did it seem as if she had known this boy her entire life? A lifetime spent with Takamine? It was a thought she refused to keep in her mind for too long. It was three months she could never get back.

"Yes." Ren spoke again. "After he passed, I don't think Ureshii could take it."

Damn, why did they have to talk about this in front of her? As if she wasn't there?

"How long was she gone?" Takamine asked.

"For about ten hours." Ren confessed. "When she returned, she had Ne with her."

"So then," The older male continued, "She was transferred to Mochinoki City?"

No, there was no way they were going to continue any further. Not with her present. Enough was enough and she had far enough. They weren't going to disrespect her in her own home by speaking ill of her. She wasn't going to stand for it.

"Yes," Ren answered. "Our mom-"

Ureshii bolted from her seat in her chair and whirled around to face Takamine and her sister. With both of her fists clenched and a tight glare equipped she barked back, "Enough! He doesn't need to know anymore!"

Ren gulped in fear before mewing, "But Ureshii…"

"No!" Her voice vibrated through her lips. "Show them out, Ren! Get them out of my house!"

She wasn't going to give him the gratitude of seeing her for one second longer. Ureshii pressed through the large living room into the elongated hall. The sounds of her echoing footsteps were just the sound she wanted to hear. No more chatting, no more reminiscing, just silence. She never wanted to hear Takamine's voice again.

Act End.


End file.
